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The DigiBall® is a patented electronic cue ball that automatically detects the exact tip location when hit. Because it uses gravity as a reference there is no need for manual alignment (unlike traditional training balls). Information is sent wirelessly via Bluetooth® to an Apple or Android device. All balls are perfectly balanced, perfectly round, weigh the same as a regulation ball and made from Aramith® resin. The DigiBall uses a shock-resistant automotive-grade IMU on a custom circuit board that is further encapsulated and ruggedized; break-shots are no problem. Each ball comes with a proprietary charging pad which provides 16 hours of play time per charge.
The purpose of the DigiBall is to provide players/students immediate feedback on the accuracy of their stroke when hitting the cue ball. Accuracy is very important for both pocketing the object ball and imparting the correct spin on the cue ball to travel to the desired position for the next shot. Knowledge of tip position accuracy helps guide the player in choosing where to make fundamental corrections, be it aiming, stroke, alignment, focus, or conceptual.
Accuracy is key to consistent billiards.
Click here for more information about how to use the DigiBall with a Raspberry Pi.
Click here for more information about how to use the DigiBall with OBS for video streaming.
Patent 11731007, Trademarks 90723805, 90723960.
Features:
Tip contact point
Angle of applied English (or spin)
Spin magnitude
Speed
Shot clock
Target "scatter pattern" display
Statistical calculations on shots
Plot of spin evolution over time
Jump detection
Collision detection
Ghost tip position display
Export shot data
Data tags for practice / game sessions
Timestamped data for syncing with video recordings
Now available for Apple Watch!
Serious Engineering from Design to Production...
Why?
The DigiBall is a digital billiards ball that measures the accuracy of your stroke so that you can compare it to your intentions. Novice players may not give any thought to the importance of where on the face of the cue ball they hit it, as long as the cue ball makes the object ball go in the pocket. But for any high level of play, it is extremely important. Hitting the ball too much on one side of center will cause it to deflect in the opposite direction of your aiming line, resulting in a miss. Advanced players know this, and use the deviation in combination with deliberate tip offset to both pocket the object ball and spin the cue ball off of the rails into desired positions. But again, deviations in the accuracy of the deliberate off-center tip hits cause poor results. By obtaining real time feedback on where you actually hit the ball and comparing it to where you intended to hit the ball, you can make permanent adjustments quickly.
Is the ball perfectly round?
Yes. The ball is manufactured by Aramith to a sphericity of 0.025mm +/- 0.05mm per Aramith standards.
Is the ball perfectly balanced?
Yes. The ball is perfectly balanced resulting in zero roll-off.
Can I break with it?
Yes, the DigiBall is designed to withstand unlimited break-speed shots.
Does it weigh the same as a normal ball?
Yes. The ball is manufactured by Aramith to the same weight standards as a normal Aramith cue ball.
Is it made from the same materials as a normal ball?
Yes. The ball is made from Aramith phenolic resin.
Do I have to align it before I shoot?
No. The DigiBall uses the direction of gravity while at rest as a reference and requires no manual alignment, ever.
Does it automatically pocket balls for me?
No, the DigiBall does not move on its own or pocket balls for you.
Is it smart enough to change its path after I hit it?
No, the DigiBall does not contain any moving parts or actuators that would cause it to alter its path in any way.
Can it make itself roll faster or slower?
No, the rolling speed of the ball can not be electronically changed.
Does it tell me how much spin (English) I put on the ball?
Yes. Rotational speed in RPS (rotations per second) is displayed for every shot.
Does it tell me the ball speed?
Yes. Ball speed is calculated automatically. A higher accuracy is obtained after the distance between the ball and target is input into the app.
Does it tell me where I hit the cue ball with the tip?
Yes. Exact tip location is displayed graphically, and as a percentage of ball radius from center.
Does it show me how the spin changes over time?
Yes, the DigiBall app displays a plot of spin magnitude over time. The length of time that the DigiBall records data can be configured remotely.
Does it know if I stroked straight or not?
No. The DigiBall has no idea how the cue stick moved. It only knows what the point of contact is.
Can it detect miscues?
Kind of. You will see a result with much lower spin than expected. However there is no precise detection between a miscue and a good hit.
Can it measure cloth friction and rolling resistance?
Yes. The rate of change of spin magnitude over time (rpm/s), or the slope of the plot at a point in time, provides a measurement of rolling resistance (if rolling without slipping), and ball-cloth friction (slipping, i.e. a turn-over during a draw shot).
Can it tell me my cue stick angle?
No, the DigiBall does not know the angle of the cue stick.
Does it know where on the table it is?
The DigiBall has no idea where on the table it is at any point in time. It has no external reference.
Does it know where it hit the object ball?
No, the DigiBall can not tell you the contact point of the object ball because there is no external reference for either the DigiBall or object ball to relate it to. It can however detect an impact event in time.
Can it measure squirt and swerve?
The DigiBall can not measure positional deviation from a straight line as it moves. It can only show the change in spin magnitude.
Can it measure where I need to aim on the object ball?
No, the DigiBall can not tell you where you need to aim at the object ball.
Can it save multiple shots?
Yes, the app can display a scatter plot of multiple tip contact points from shots. Statistical information is also presented such as speed and tip position averages and standard deviations.
Can I export all of my shot data?
Yes, the app saves all shots to file as a history log. This file is exportable (sharable) at any time.
Does it have a shot clock?
Yes, the DigiBall has a built in shot clock. The app displays a count-up or count-down to a selected time, a change of colors to indicate warnings, and an option for voice anouncements.
Can it tell me the spin outloud?
Yes. The DigiBall app has an option to announce the spin angle outloud.
Does it tell me what I did wrong or how to fix it?
The DigiBall does not give you this answer, but it will help you find it. By comparing where you intended to hit the cue ball, to where the cue ball was actually hit, you will become more aware of your stroke and pre-shot routine. This awareness will quantify your fundemental problems and lead to self-corrections. Additionally, pairing the DigiBall data with video allows you to share your performance with others, which will generate very helpful feedback.
Does it come with a wireless charger?
The DigiBall comes with a proprietary wireless charger. Qi chargers will not work with the DigiBall.
How long does it take to charge?
Between 4 to 8 hours.
How long can I play before I need to recharge it?
About 12 and 16 hours.
How many times can I recharge it?
Thousands of times.
What games (ball sizes) does it work for?
The DigiBall is planned to be available in pool, snooker and carom sized balls.
How do I reconfigure the DigiBall?
The DigiBall as a few reconfigurable parameters, such as what data is displayed in the app's plot and the data length, etc. It also has Over The Air firmware update capabilities. To enable the DigiBall for updates, perform the following gesture: Hold the ball in such a way that allows you to partially rotate back and forth while keeping the black dot stationary. Do this five times within three seconds.
What is the format of the Shared / exportable data file from the app?
Data is exported from the DigiBall App in comma-delimited ASCII format:
epoch: Timestamp, milliseconds since Jan 1, 1970
rps: Spin Magnitude in rps
deg: Spin Angle in degrees
secsl: User-selected time with slider, between hit and impact, in inches
inch: User-selected distance with slider between CB and target, in inches
rpm: Spin Magnitude in rpm
tip: Tip Location in Percent Radius from Center
miss: True for success, False for miss
mph: Ball speed after hit, in mph
xmm: Tip location from center in the horizontal direction, in mm
ymm: Tip location from center in the vertical direction, in mm
bdmm: Ball diameter, in mm
tag: Session name / start of session
tagend: End of session
DigiBall Cover Art designed by Isaac Wooten of Digital Pool. www.digitalpool.com