Soil Moisture Sensor Network for Golf Ball Location Tracking
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current GPS-enabled golf ball location systems are costly, time-consuming, and distract players, while also increasing water consumption in sports facilities, making them inefficient for centrally managed game enhancements.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a network of soil moisture sensors on sports fields that detect the ball's proximity using magnetometers and communicate its location to a system controller, allowing for efficient ball tracking and statistics collection without requiring extensive user interaction or costly technology.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If GPS-enabled golf balls are used for ball location, then ball tracking capability is improved, but system cost and user distraction increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces soil moisture sensors as intermediary detection devices distributed across the golf course. These sensors contain ball detection capabilities and serve as mediators between the ball and the central system, eliminating the need for expensive GPS technology in each ball while maintaining location tracking accuracy.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of equipping each ball with expensive GPS technology, the patent creates a network of soil moisture sensors that copy the ball detection function across multiple locations. The sensors collectively provide comprehensive ball tracking coverage without requiring each ball to have its own expensive positioning system.
2Measurement precision
If GPS-enabled golf balls are used for ball location, then ball tracking capability is improved, but user distraction and time consumption increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system automatically detects ball location through the soil moisture sensor network without requiring user intervention. The sensors autonomously monitor for balls and communicate locations to the central system, allowing players to continue playing without interacting with tracking devices or mobile applications.
Solution Approach 2:
The soil moisture sensors act as intermediaries that automatically detect and report ball locations, eliminating the need for users to manually operate GPS devices or mobile applications. The system handles all tracking operations autonomously through the sensor network.
3Measurement precision
If traditional ball location systems are used, then ball tracking is achieved, but water usage in sports facilities increases
Solution Approach 1:
The soil moisture sensors serve dual functions: they monitor soil moisture levels for irrigation management and detect ball locations for game tracking. This multi-functionality allows the same infrastructure to address both water management and ball location needs, reducing overall system cost and preventing increased water consumption.
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
This solution reduces water usage, saves costs, and enhances gameplay efficiency by providing accurate ball location and statistics without distracting players, allowing for more effective game management and reduced environmental impact.
Implementation Method 1
detect the ball's proximity using magnetometers
Data Source
AI summary
Systems and methods for ball location on a sports field may include a plurality of soil moisture sensors distributed on the sports field, such as on a golf course. Each of the soil moisture sensors has a location on the sports field known to the system, and a ball detector that detects a ball being within proximity to the soil moisture sensor. This may be accomplished via one or more of a magnetometer, vibration detector and motion sensor of the soil moisture sensor. The system may use signals from the soil moisture sensors indicating such information to provide information to one or more players regarding a game score and/or other game play statistics based on the ball being within proximity to one or more particular soil moisture sensors.