Shutter Glasses for Athletic Training

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Solution Overview

Problem

Athletes in sports like golf, tennis, and baseball face challenges in improving ball control due to visual attention being diverted from the desired movement trajectory, leading to reduced training effectiveness, and existing solutions like shutter glasses do not adequately focus attention on tactile feedback during critical phases of movement.

Innovation Solution

A detector system that sends a signal to shutter glasses to transition from high to low transparency at specific moments during a throwing, hitting, or shooting motion, allowing athletes to focus more on tactile feedback and reducing visual distractions, using various detection methods such as acoustic, optical, or radar sensors.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If athletes use visual tracking to monitor ball trajectory and movement, then they can observe ball behavior and make corrections, but their attention is diverted from tactile feedback and perceived perceptions, reducing training effectiveness

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvevisual tracking accuracyVSAvoidtraining effectiveness
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The shutter glasses implement periodic action by alternating between transparent and opaque states at specific intervals during the athletic movement. The transparency is controlled to block visual input during critical phases (swing execution, ball contact) while allowing visual tracking during other phases, creating a rhythmic pattern that enhances tactile awareness without completely eliminating visual capability

Inventive Principle:
Principle #19Periodic action

Solution Approach 2:

The shutter glasses serve as an intermediary device between the athlete's visual system and the environment. By controlling light transmission dynamically, the glasses mediate the balance between visual information and tactile perception, allowing the athlete to selectively access visual input based on the phase of movement

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Ease of operation

If coaches ask athletes to close their eyes to improve ball control and tactile feedback, then training success improves, but this requires conscious attention and additional action that diverts focus

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvetactile feedback awarenessVSAvoidattention resource consumption
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The shutter glasses implement self-service by automatically controlling visual input based on the phase of athletic movement. Sensors detect movement phase (swing initiation, ball contact, follow-through) and the system autonomously adjusts transparency without requiring the athlete to consciously open or close eyes, eliminating the additional attention burden

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

The manual action of closing and opening eyes is replaced by an automated optical system. The mechanical/conscious action of eyelid movement is substituted with an electro-optical system that controls light transmission through the shutter glasses based on sensor input, reducing cognitive load

Inventive Principle:
Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

3Ease of operation

If shutter glasses are used to restrict field of vision and focus attention, then visual distractions are reduced, but the system lacks adaptive control for different movement phases and sports

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvevisual focusVSAvoidmovement phase adaptability
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The shutter glasses implement dynamics by making the transparency state variable and time-dependent rather than fixed. The system transitions between transparent and opaque states dynamically based on detected movement phase, allowing adaptation to different moments in the athletic sequence (swing, throw, jump) and different sports requirements

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The system changes parameters by adjusting transparency levels based on movement phase detection. Different phases of movement trigger different transparency states, and the system can be configured with adjustable parameters such as transition timing, duration of opaque state, and sensitivity thresholds to adapt to various sports and individual athlete needs

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

Enhances training success by shifting attention from visual tracking to tactile feedback, improving movement control and reducing distractions, allowing athletes to concentrate on the feel of the movement and equipment interaction.

Implementation Method 1

shutter glasses with a receiving circuit (Rx) that controls their transparency, in particular controls switching from high transparency to low transparency, when the signal from the transmitter (Tx) is received

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectElectro-optic effect: Electro-Optic Effects

Implementation Method 2

a detector that triggers the transmission of a signal at the start or at a defined phase of a movement

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectMotion detection:

Data Source

PatentEP3265186B1Training set to improve ball control
Publication Date: 2022.09.07 SENSUSPORT UG
  • EP3265186B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3265186B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3265186B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

The invention relates to a device assembly which causes the concentration of a sportsperson in the course of a throwing, kicking, striking and shooting movement and/or the physical movement sequence to increasingly focus on feeling and thereby improve performance. The device assembly has a detector (14) which transmits a signal to a pair of shutter spectacles (13) via a transmitter (Tx) at a selectable time between the beginning of a throwing, kicking, striking and shooting movement and/or the physical movement sequence and the movement phase (12) commenced in this way. The shutter spectacles have a receiving circuit (Rx) which converts the lenses of the shutter spectacles from a high transparency to a low transparency when said signal is received.