What Triggers the GC2

[wbond]

Does anyone know what actually triggers the GC2 to start taking pictures? Is it sound? Reason I ask is because i get quite a few missed shots with shorter wedge shots and my boys do not have this problem. For sure my mizuno wedges are quieter than the Vokey and Callaway wedges that they use. Just trying to figure out what might be causing issues for me and not them. The shots are anything crazy high/low or way off line, the bad shots are never missed.

[Dax]

Great question Wbond and I thought that it would be something that you would have had the answer to compared to anyone. Unfortunately I don't know the answer either, but figured it had to be using the cameras to some extent? The only reason for saying this is due to how the unit let's you know that it detects the ball and that the ball is within the hitting area or just outside of the hitting area. The cameras must also sense the club and the ball being hit, which then triggers the unit to capture the ball data with the flash an the cameras at certain intervals.

Translating the above... I have no idea!

[grant2145]

The cameras detect the golf ball in real-time and will trigger the GC2 when the ball's speed and direction exceed a certain threshold.


Below is the full explanation:


3. Triggering of the Camera for Image Capture

Measuring and recording the position of a golf club during a portion of its swing before impact with a golf ball, and measurement and recording the position of a golf ball after impact by the golf club requires a precise initiation signal. The preferred embodiment of the flight parameter measurement system utilizes a high speed imaging camera to monitor ball launch conditions. The need for special trigger devices to initiate tracking is eliminated by utilizing the same camera for capturing images in real-time. The captured images are used for both precise triggering of recording of images and for subsequent tracking of the flight of the ball.

The camera which is monitoring the stationary golf ball, or an area proximate the launch position before/after impact, continuously acquires images and temporarily records images of the golf ball and its surrounding area. The camera acquires images sufficiently fast to detect the approach of a golf club or golf ball, such that the golf club or golf ball approach event may be utilized to set up trigger conditions which initiate the precision measurement and recording of the golf club during impact with the golf ball, and the subsequent golf ball motion. Through the use of fast, image analysis techniques, certain portions of the acquired images are examined. Specific criteria which eliminates false triggering is utilized to initiate the acquisition of precision images.

In the preferred embodiment, a current image is subtracted, pixel by pixel, from the previous image. The image may be decimated to reduce processing requirements and/or increase signal to noise ratios. The resulting subtracted image is compared against a threshold to detect areas within the image for which motion has occurred. These areas of interest are analyzed further to look for the specific characteristics of a golf club or golf ball.

FIG. 7 illustrates a method for triggering image capture. A “trigger” portion 180 of the camera window frame 182 is utilized for monitoring when the golf ball 190 or golf club moves or comes into view. Specifically, the camera of the present invention scans certain pixels at very high frame rates. This allows the inventive system to detect when an object 190 enters a pre-determined field of view 180. In the preferred embodiment, the pre-determined, or trigger, field of view 180 is a vertical field, i.e., perpendicular to the plane of the starting position of the ball, that is on the left or right of the camera window 182 depending upon the placement of the camera with respect to the golf player. Once an object image 192 is detected in the trigger field of view 180, the object 192 is analyzed to verify its speed, shape and direction of motion. If these measurements exceed preset thresholds, a valid triggering event is declared and the image capturing process for tracking is initiated. The preset thresholds are used to eliminate false triggering events such as club waggle or movements of the golfer while addressing the ball.

[AdamV]

This is great detail, where did you find it?

[grant2145]

It is from one of Foresight's patents. https://patents.google.com/patent/US7324663?oq=7324663

[Ports]

I have found shiny wedges create more misreads (no reads actually). Black wedges never miss in my experience, my shiny wedges are starting to miss a lot less as they get older.

[Bubba22]

It's a software trigger using the camera to detect when the ball moves to start recording. Quite brilliant.

[AdamV]

Goes some way to explaining why I sometimes get no reads while putting (no trigger event) and then funny misreads while setting the ball up (false trigger event)

[mthunt]

Does anyone know what actually triggers the GC2 to start taking pictures? Is it sound? Reason I ask is because i get quite a few missed shots with shorter wedge shots and my boys do not have this problem. For sure my mizuno wedges are quieter than the Vokey and Callaway wedges that they use. Just trying to figure out what might be causing issues for me and not them. The shots are anything crazy high/low or way off line, the bad shots are never missed.

The same thing happens on mine but only on certain wedges and certain distance ranges. I find it’s better A. with a good flash (mega or super) and B. with the ball in the top left field of view. It’s literally the only time I get a no read.

[wbond]

Thanks, I will try and place in the upper left and see if that helps.