Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

Rugby Ball Meets Web-Cam

Posted by Hemos on from the cross-breeding dept.

comcn writes "What do you get when you cross a rugby ball with a web-cam? The BBC have an article about a polytechnic in New Zealand that is in the process of creating a camera that is small and light enough to fit inside a rugby ball. Boy, are you going to get a headache when watching rugby on TV now."

4 of 145 comments (clear)

  1. Re:If you didnt know by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Interesting
    This is true, people regularly break their necks and backs playing rugby at school in the UK (and probably in other rugby playing countries). Kids are forced to play rugby despite not liking the game or the act of putting ones head between two sweaty muddy teammates legs.

    There doesn't appear to be any comeuppance for the school that forces their pupils to play rugby against their wishes either, if a pupil should get injured severely. This has got to change, to protect the children (!) from sadistic games teachers.

  2. Why? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Interesting

    Why are we doing this? Would it really add something to a game to be able to watch from the ball? I can understand putting the cameras in players helmets and stuff to get a better view of what they're seeing.

    But will this really do that? Would it really see a steady picture or would it just be a blur? As for football, I think the XFL had the right idea in listening in on the huddle and stuff, of FOX putting a camera on the referee or umpire, because it would actually add something to watching the game. I know this is the idea with this, too, as the article says, to show better what goes on in a scrum or something, but it is difficult to see how this would provide a good shot. Nice idea, but a waste of time, I think.

    Correct me if I'm wrong, but the article doesn't seem to answer my questions.

  3. Battery power by _ganja_ · · Score: 3, Interesting

    I wonder if there is a way of powering the camera using the balls own inertia? Kinda like the wrist watches that don't use batteries and don't have to be wound? Maybe that technology is behind current battery technology but the ball certainly will do a lot of moving.

    --

    A journey of a thousand miles starts with a brutal anal raping at airport security

    1. Re:Battery power by mmol_6453 · · Score: 2, Interesting

      The only problem is you'd be taking energy out of the ball's spin, and that would affect the trajectory.

      --
      What's this Submit thingy do?