Challenge
The project involved several technical difficulties such as maintaining long battery life in a small device, accurately tracking ball rotations, and ensuring reliable communication on a golf course where Wi-Fi is limited. Another major challenge was fitting all components into a compact PCB that could fit inside a golf ball while still being suitable for mass production. Additionally, capturing precise data like direction, speed, and impact force, along with setting up a scalable cloud system, was complex.
The project involved several technical difficulties such as maintaining long battery life in a small device, accurately tracking ball rotations, and ensuring reliable communication on a golf course where Wi-Fi is limited. Another major challenge was fitting all components into a compact PCB that could fit inside a golf ball while still being suitable for mass production. Additionally, capturing precise data like direction, speed, and impact force, along with setting up a scalable cloud system, was complex.
Solution
To solve these issues, the team switched to a low-power nRF controller that activates only on motion, significantly improving battery efficiency. Advanced 3-axis gyro sensors were used for more accurate rotation tracking. A multilayer compact PCB was designed to fit inside the golf ball and support large-scale manufacturing. For communication, a BLE mesh network was implemented with local receivers across the course. A mobile app and cloud integration (using Azure) were also developed to manage and visualize real-time data.
To solve these issues, the team switched to a low-power nRF controller that activates only on motion, significantly improving battery efficiency. Advanced 3-axis gyro sensors were used for more accurate rotation tracking. A multilayer compact PCB was designed to fit inside the golf ball and support large-scale manufacturing. For communication, a BLE mesh network was implemented with local receivers across the course. A mobile app and cloud integration (using Azure) were also developed to manage and visualize real-time data.
Results
The final product achieved a long battery life of up to a year, delivered highly accurate motion and rotation tracking, and successfully integrated a compact design ready for mass production. The BLE-based communication system worked smoothly across the golf course, and the cloud-connected app provided users with real-time performance insights and analytics.
The final product achieved a long battery life of up to a year, delivered highly accurate motion and rotation tracking, and successfully integrated a compact design ready for mass production. The BLE-based communication system worked smoothly across the golf course, and the cloud-connected app provided users with real-time performance insights and analytics.