Piezoelectric Tennis Rackets

morcheeba writes "EETimes has an article on a piezoelectric tennis racket made by Head Sport AG. It uses piezoelectric fibers to damp vibrations and, due to regulations, it doesn't contain a battery. Although it's been out a while, it's now gaining credibility with professionals and has made it into the quarterfinals of the French Open."

Comments

*sigh*

[ceejayoz]

Can't we have a sport that's based on talent and not $$$? The technology's cool, but I don't think it should be allowed in competition...

Re:*sigh*

[Brento]

Can't we have a sport that's based on talent and not $$$?

Sure, there's sand volleyball, for starters, and you've got chess at the other extreme of the physical/mental spectrum. I'm sure if you spent some time thinking you'd come up with plenty more.

Re:*sigh*

[Anonymous Coward]

At Agassi's level, it's not about who can afford the cool racket. They all get them free from their sponsors. If this racket is so much better it will give anyone an edge, other manufacturers will imitate it and things will be fair. You probably wish they had stuck with wood rackets don't you?

Re:*sigh*

[Anonymous Coward]

Nowadays you can have piezoelectric shoes and shark-skin textured clothing to reduce air drag. So the only fair competition I can think of are "naked olympics". Too bad it's indecent.

Re:*sigh*

[chemguru]

Hmm... higher vibration dampening

== less stress on elbows ( lowers risk of tennis elbow ) == less fatigue == longer play time == more practice == better 'talent'

So, by your token, more $$$ COULD == higher talent through increased practice time and play, and by all means should be allowed in competition.

Until I see you on ESPN2 swinging a stiff racquet for 10+ years without surgery on your elbow, shut your whining trap. Most ALL sports that require equipment ( other than a brain ) are dependant on technological improvments.

Re:*sigh*

[andrea_dworkin]

You call the idea of a naked Olympics indecent, but you mention it anyway to tittilate us, don't you. You, sir are a rapist in sheep's clothing.

Re:*sigh*

[MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM]

Well I'm not wearing pants, and my penis is waving up and down as I run around the back yard. My aerodynamic bike helmet help me go faster, almost reaching the speed of sound because I can feel the wind flagelling my balls.

Re:*sigh*

[Razor Sex]

What about Pro Wrestling?

Re:*sigh*

[ozbon]

Wood rackets were fun - but the wood strings didn't have the right amount of bounce to them.

The wooden racket - great for egg and sppon races, crap for tennis

Re:*sigh*

[Anonymous Coward]

By definition, any sport that use tools, uses technology, even sport shoes qualify. Or do you mean that the tools used should not be improved beyond the original design? Would it be ok to use a wood paddle for tennis, what kind of wood? Is varnish ok?

I think what you really want is a level playing field, every one uses the same tools. What about training? diets? living environment? Do you control those too? Do we make sure avry athletes live similar life, eat the same foods, get the same amount of rest, is exposed to the same stress?

So we can't control how much money is spent to help an athlete win (unless you put them is some sort of camp where they all get the same equipment, trainers, foods and living condition), it's not fair but but why does it have to be? Fair competiton is not a basic human right.

There are things that should not be permitted in sports, like performance enhencing drugs. They can't be permitted because in the long term they are harmfull to the athletes, if they find some that are reasonably safe than fine, use them, but don't put the athlete's health at risk.

Professional sports (including pseudo amateur competitions like the olympics) are spectacles, they are not primarilly about the competition, they're about the show. And it's ok to throw more money in a show's budget to make it better. But it's not ok to endanger the health of the athletes, but we still have a long way to go on that score. After all, boxing is legal and hockey player gets 2 minutes penalty for violent acts instead of a few months in jail.

Re:*sigh*

[Nexx]

I'd *guarantee* you that what little advantage these machines will give you will be outclassed by the raw talents of the players themselves. Don't believe me? Give me one of these awesome rackets. Give a pro player (doesn't even have to be at Agassi's level, just some club player) a no-frills aluminum racket from the mid-80's. Have us play a best of three sets. You'll watch the other guy beat me probably close to 6-0, 6-0. In sports like tennis and baseball, money will help, but you still need the skills to compete. It's not like the racket is playing for you.

Re:*sigh*

[treat]

Can't we have a sport that's based on talent and not $$$?

Sure, there's sand volleyball, for starters

While this is indeed true with respect to equipment, I do not believe that it is also true with respect to individual athletic ability. Besides simply the sort of advanced training a well-funded athlete receives, there is the severely unbalancing factor of body alteration. Currently it is mostly hormones, but genetic engineering is in our immediate future in its most simple forms. The future will only see greater use of genetic engineering, and in 20-200 years time (depending on who you ask) the use of nanotechnology, cybernetics, and surely other kinds of advanced enhancement of human athletic and mental skill.

Perhaps advanced medical techniques will make it possible to determine who has not scientifically altered their body, so that pure humans can compete on a level playing field. The altered competitions will probably be more exciting (as they are today), however. But they will be mainly contests of money and courage to undergo risky medical procedures.

I am surprised

[littlerubberfeet]

Usually with sports gear, one tries to make a long-lasting product. Piezo fibres seem like they would wear out fast, and the handle components would need often repair. I suppose it doesn't matter when you have Nike as a sponsorer....

Now, many metals have been developed that have a 'memory' I am surprised these haven't been used in conjunction with the common carbon-fibre thread used now.

Re:I am surprised

[ozbon]

But when it comes to sports gear, what's the average life of a tennis racket in a pro match anyway? I doubt one lasts an entire competition.

And when the racket's owned by someone like John Mcenroe, it's lucky to last the set... :)

Everybody knows...

[TastySiliconWafers]

....sparks fly when the score is love, love.

other applications

[Hanzie]

They're using it in skis, too.

I would like to see if it is usable in automobile suspensions. Active electronic dampening should out perform any hydraulics.

Come to think of it, this technology could be used to make an active muffler for auto exhaust systems. It could also absorb driveline vibrations.

Wonder if it could do anything for crankshaft vibration?

hanzie

Re:other applications

[Anonymous Coward]

It's because of very large and powerful crankshaft vibrations that your engine turns. Any more brilliant ideas?

Re:other applications

[XNormal]

I think active vibration dampening has already been demonstrated in diesel engines and it cuts down on noise and, perhaps more importantly, reduces wear.

How about an active automobile suspension that also has a millimeter wave radar looking forward to anticipate bumps and potholes?

Re:other applications

[s.fontinalis]

Active suspension was very popular in formula 1 about a decade ago - it was outlawed due to cost reasons. The technology even transfered into prductions cars - the first Infiniti Q45 was blessed with it. It then went into hibernation until the most recent Mercedes-Benz S-Class.

Re:other applications

[JakiChan]

That reminds me of when Formula One had active/electronic suspensions. When the car was calibrating it self it would actually jump in the air a few inches. The mechanics called it "Jumping Jacks".

Eventually such systems were banned...:-)

Re:other applications

[Anonymous Coward]

+1, Snow Crash Reference

Re:other applications

[DNS-and-BIND]

active suspension basically let the cars drive themselves. of course, formula 1 racing is about as entertaining as picking your toenails, or soccer. the same people win again, and again, and again, and again. yawn.

Re:other applications

[s.fontinalis]

the same people win again, and again, and again, and again. yawn.

Can't this just be said for all current televised sports?

Re:other applications

[SEWilco]

I liked the production Porsche which in the lab was programmed to walk up stairs. Walking would be convenient for some parking situations.

Re:other applications

[DNS-and-BIND]

Perhaps the NBA. I don't know...car racing was just ruined for me when I found out that the guys that win all the time simply have faster cars than everyone else. I had always assumed the vehicles were approximately equal in performance. But nope, that's just not true. An underdog can't just come out of nowhere and win, like the New England Patriots did earlier this year.

Re:other applications

[Anonymous Coward]

NASCAR is supposed to be more fair - as in less difference between cars.

Re:other applications

[Anonymous Coward]

The thing that makes diesels so loud is often not so much the vibration of the entire engine itself, but the mechanical fuel pump and fuel pintels.

I know that Mercedes adn BMW have electronic diesel injectors that all but ileminate the god aweful sound that some diesels can make.

Re:other applications

[Moofie]

There are two dimensions to car racing: The driver, and the engineers (and mechanics). Me, I think 24 Hours at LeMans is the best race out there, simply because it's so outrageously punishing on the machines. Your car has to be designed and built RIGHT in order to be competitive. Sure, you need fast driving too, but that race is won and lost on the drawing board and in pit lane. Great great stuff.

Different strokes for different folks, of course. Guess you could just watch NASCAR. "Geez, Darrell, just put your foot on the floor and turn left! 'Tain't all that complicated!"

Re:other applications

[s.fontinalis]

"Your car has to be designed and built RIGHT in order to be competitive. Sure, you need fast driving too, but that race is won and lost on the drawing board and in pit lane. Great great stuff." I'll agree that the technology behind racing is very interesting - Racecar Engineering Magazine used to be a favorite of mine. Interesting technology doesn't particularly make for a particularly gripping race to watch, however. Do you actually watch Le Mans live? (Is there anyone that televises Le Mans live?)

Re:other applications

[Anonymous Coward]

It's because of very large and powerful crankshaft vibrations that your engine turns. Any more brilliant ideas?

Crankshaft vibrations are very, very bad. You don't want your engine to fly apart, do you? Did you ever wonder what those counterweights on the crankshaft were for?

Re:other applications

[Moofie]

SpeedVision does excellent, well-edited, coverage of endurance races.

As far as the best wheel-to-wheel racing action goes, British touring car races simply can not be beat. Those guys are NUTS. Very competitive, very fast, very unpredictable. Kinda like NASCAR, only interesting.

Re:other applications

[s.fontinalis]

SpeedVision does excellent, well-edited, coverage of endurance races. This was somewhat my point - enduro races are extraordinarily boring to watch as there happening - like soccer games they become excellent entertainment when condensed. I agree with you that Touring Car racing is awesome - British series is great(though I miss watching the Volvo wagons from a couple years ago!) For Motor Racing my ideal has always been the Mille Miglia (ended in 57) the Targa Florio (ended in 73) or the Nordschlieffe of Nurburgring(of which their are some videos here http://www.motorcycle-dk.com/en/multimedia/ ) I always though that a long course >10 miles made for a much more challenging race, and I particularly liked the theory behind the Mille Miglia. 1000 miles on Italian Public roads. Straight through. Would have been fun to stand alongside the course.

Re:other applications

[Midnight Thunder]

Me, I think 24 Hours at LeMans is the best race out there, simply because it's so outrageously punishing on the machines

You probably haven't seen the Dakar ralley in that case. This race is really an all round skills event for the drivers, co-pilots and mechanics. The trucks with the spare parts even participate in the race.

Not the first Piezoelectric Application

[s.fontinalis]

K2 skis have had a piezoelectric ski on the market since 1996, the Merlin V complete with a little blinking red light to show that its working(just like a BE, ahh how we morn the BEOS). More here: http://www.acx.com/lab/cool_ski.html Dampening technology has advantages yes - but generally the reason high tech gadgets make it to the finals have to do with sponsorship & psychology, not necessarily technological superiority.

Re:Not the first Piezoelectric Application

[Anonymous Coward]

erm...both from personal experience and reading your own link I think I can safely say that the first K2 piezo ski was the Four, not the Merlin :P

Next, the aimbot

[Animats]

This thing actively controls tension in the racquet strings, so with more sensors, it could become an aimbot. Just hit the ball in roughly the right direction, and leave the precision targeting to the computers.

Re:Next, the aimbot

[Alsee]

aimbot

Yeah, every shot automatically becomes a head-shot :)

-

My game sucks now

[Anonymous Coward]

I have a version of this racquet that I modified to use a car battery (which I strap to my back while playing). And although vibration is greatly reduced I have to say that my game hasn't improved.

Getting a perceived advantage

[Mattygfunk]

Firstly, this kind of thing will very quickly make its way across all racquet/bat/glove/sword/anything sports if it's proven a worthwhile advantage. Just as quickly it will cost your average club level player the extra cost to keep up.

The Australian Football League allowed the use of gloves 7 or so years back. The AFL has been in existance over 100 years without them but that perceived advantage lead to half of the players (at least) playing the game using them. Juniors at the local clubs naturally followed suit, and the sport as a whole suffered because of fewer numbers participating due to the cost.

I love technology, but the advantages and disadvantages of somthing like this have got to looked at carefully before this should be permitted at any level.

Re:Getting a perceived advantage

[DNS-and-BIND]

buying accessories for your activities is fun, and is one of the main reasons affluent people participate in them. if you're participating in a sport with zero cost of entry, you're probably going to be out on a field with rednecks and other white trash.

Re:Getting a perceived advantage

[ImaLamer]

"if you're participating in a sport with zero cost of entry, you're probably going to be out on a field with rednecks and other white trash."

...and if you are on a field playing a sport that takes a million to play you are likely not getting the competition you should. How un-sportsman-like?

It isn't the idea that you are locking out "the poorest" players - the problem is that you aren't likely to get "the best" players because the entry fee is so high.

Who wants to play with a bunch of inbreed snobs?

Of course you complain about spelling "a lot" as "alot" while you fail to capitalize your own sentences.

Re:Getting a perceived advantage

[foniksonik]

I agree with your sentiments completely and have maintained spelling accuracy to go along with that for the duration of my 'speel'.

Buying accessories may be fun for 'hobbies' where you are the only one required to participate, but for sports and other team/league affiliated interests, economy and quality of actual play is much more important.

Who cares what kind of gadget lets you cheat while playing touch football... doesn't count on my field.

Re:Getting a perceived advantage

[DNS-and-BIND]

Sports aren't about competition, they're about satisfaction and cameraderie. Only professional players care about winning at all costs, the word amateur literally means "one who plays for love of the game". Selecting and purchasing sports accessories is a major attraction to the affluent, and is the reason why non-team sports are so popular these days. Golfing, kayaking, rock climbing, and hiking/camping aren't cheap! We're not talking about two-ropes-and-a-sheet tents, this is the real deal from REI. You can use the exact same equipment used by Everest expiditions, for example. Being able to emulate one's heroes in such a manner is highly satisfying to those that can afford it. If everyone and his dog was able to participate, far less satisfaction would be had. A wholesome sense of superiority over the rest of one's countrymen is essential to good mental health, and purchasing sports accessories in order to identify with groups you admire enables this.

None of this has much to do with tennis, which has seen its popularity fall through the floor since the 70s and 80s. Look at any country club, they don't have nearly as many tennis courts or tournaments as in days past.

I completely agree with the inbred remark, that's why I pointed out the pitfalls of zero-cost of entry...who wants to play with a bunch of hicks? I capitalized my sentences, too, is that OK?

Re:Getting a perceived advantage

[Nexx]

I think tennis' popularity fell because of golf's emergence as a "deal making" sport that you play with a potential client. It's a lot easier to talk while playing golf than it is tennis. Heck, after a good game of tennis, I'm not talking, I'm just trying to catch my breath :-)

Re:Getting a perceived advantage

[fferreres]

Well, I separate the sports paradigm in two:
1 - Human challenge
2 - Absolute playing

For 1) you basically can outrule all the gloves and innovation. The old golf clubs where just fine, if everyone has to use an old club, noone has an advantage. So innovation only hurts the ones that can't afford the new shit.

For 2) you need innovation. Because the same person can do (following the golf example) a better score that with the ape-era clubs. So you can say golfers are improving their play (in reality, techonology is improving their play...). Nobody really gets any advantage here, cos mostly everyone in a proffesional league will adopt the innovations. Yet, it's better to see a 10 under par score than a 5 one.

One last thingie, technological advances change the way games must be played. This is not necesarily good IHMO. For example, in tennis, the serving is out of balance right know, because the net altitude is fixed and the serving square is also fixed, but the rackets are so much better. Imagine us in 2235 AD serving at 325 kmh and all the game limited to trying to win 1 non-serving game.

Technology alters games. But we must not forget that the account for a lot of the sport organization revenues, so they are always allow in a kind of managed obsolecence way.

Goatse broke my relationship

[Anonymous Coward]

Last week I clicked that goatse link by curiosity. Well, it's disgusting. The next day, my gf said she wanted to "try something a friend told her" with my browser, so I let her loose on the Internet while I shower. The next day she broke up with me without explanation. Only when I asked her best friend did I learn that my gf was "horrified by something in my browser history". So I'd like to politely declare that you and your fellow trolls can go to hell with your frigging goatse link.

I love technology and all...

[ill_conditioned]

This is really cool stuff, and I've got to hand it to the engineers for this one, but I always wonder where will the line be drawn for technology in sports? Personally, I'd love to see them switch back to wood...

Re:I love technology and all...

[SEWilco]

You're in favor of them using something other than bare hands?

How far can this be pushed? Energy going to waste!

[frovingslosh]

This was very interesting. As to the regulation that permits self powered devices but forbids batteries, how far can that be pushed and how useful would it be to push it?

That is to say, if the racket can make a difference based on the energy it can recover from the ball impact, what could you do if you built a self generating power system into the racket handle, much like technology used in a self winding electronic watch, but at a much larger scale? Of course, without a battery the power generated could be stored in a capacitor until used. While this approach seems far beyond the sprit of the game, one could say the same about piezoelectric technology in the first place. I'm just thinking, if it going to be used at all, why not get energy from all racket movement as well as ball impact.

Re:no talent hacks...

[Anonymous Coward]

Same could be said for computing, bub. Are ya running a 486 when ya do dev work? Or have you become a follower?

Wow.........this goes beyond surprising.......

[TastySiliconWafers]

......this is truly shocking news.

Nice shot

[gerardrj]

I've heard of making the raquet sing with a nice shot, but this is rediculous. :)

I wonder though, could they make the strings sound a certain tone depending on where the ball was hit. It seems it might make a nice training tool for beginners if they could hear, as well as feel a good hit.

Re:Nice shot

[OffTheRack]

How about hardwiring the chip to play Nokia ring tone music when you hit the sweet spot. I'm thinking a tinny Bethovens 5th would be nice.

Re:Nice shot

[Anonymous Coward]

" but this is rediculous"

IT'S SPELLED R *I* D I C U L O U S

_Where_ do you guys get these mispellings from!?

Bending the Rules

[serutan]

Wow! The International Tennis Federation must've really been out to lunch on this one, or maybe these are the same guys who run the U.S. Patent Office. Their rule against batteries was obviously meant to thwart the use of devices with enough power to physically affect play. What could a digital clock in the handle do?

They just didn't anticipate using a tennis ball's impact energy to warp the racquet to counteract the player's mistakes, which is what this racquet does.

So okay, I guess we can look forward to gyro-torque batting gloves, pass-booster elbow wraps for quarterbacks, and hockey pucks with tooth-targeting microcameras.

Re:Bending the Rules

[Anonymous Coward]

No shit. Enthusiasts at almost anything will spend almost anything to feel like they're out there at the cutting edge, no matter how miniscule or illusory the advantage is. Sports, audio, cars, computers, you name it. It's a tax on gullibility.

90% of everything is illusion. The trick is finding the 10%.

What a Racket!

[Anonymous Coward]

These racquets work wonders! The results are as amazing as monodirectional speaker cables, wherein the tapering grain of the drawn gold fibers permits electron flow deeper into the wire surface in one direction than on conventional cables, which of course yields a much purer tone to anyone but the most neanderthalic dolt.

Just as any discerning audiophile can appreciate the much cleaner sound of the most expensive speaker cables, so too can sophisticated and highly refined tennis practitioners immediately feel the difference that the most expensive prestige racquet makes.

Re:What a Racket!

[Anonymous Coward]

(Sorry, this was mis-posted to another comment)

No shit. Enthusiasts at almost anything will spend almost anything to feel like they're out there at the cutting edge, no matter how miniscule or illusory the advantage is. Sports, audio, cars, computers, you name it. It's a tax on gullibility.

90% of everything is illusion. The trick is finding the 10%.

Re:anna kornakova uses an electric racket

[Anonymous Coward]

anna kornakova uses an electric racket ... FOR A DILDO!

Here I am catching up on the geek news in between feeling sorry for myself for stuffing up my French Open and I've got to read your lies about me.

What did I ever do to you?

Anna

i love it

[bsadler]

Now you can save up your power like in Mario tennis on the N64 and then slam it into Aggasi's head!

It doesn't matter

[layingMantis]

...........Martina Hingis got hurt and isn't out there.
I think I'll retch if I have to see, and hear, freakin' Monica Seles anymore. Bleh.

2015: R.U.R. anounces new tennis racket

[Daetrin]

The racket uses new advanced piezoelectric matierials to power a hightech microchip in the handle. This microchip then uses the power generated from the ball striking the racket to generate radio waves, which it uses to communicate with a special "robot" device attached to the handle.

This "robot," which has been previously imprinted with the player's memory and skills, will predict the reactions the player would want to make, and perform them with greater speed, accuracy, and strength.

Although the player can hold the hand of the robat while it performs to make it look like they're actually doing something, if they wish they can just go sit in a lounge chair and have a lemonade until the match is over instead.

Re:anna kornakova uses an electric racket

[andrea_dworkin]

Sir, wimmen are not objects for your sexual fantasies, we are people, and I think that Anna Kornakova's sexuality is none of your goddes-damned business. Go take a cold shower, rapist.

Re:anna kornakova uses an electric racket

[andrea_dworkin]

Wooo! You tell 'im sister! Shout down the Patriarchy!!!

needed tech

[butternipples wee]

is this needed, maybe we should stop worrying about tennis elbow and try to find the cure of a greater disease

Re:needed tech

[MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM]

Sir, you will catch nasty deseases if you fuck this monkey.

Re:Important Info About Pieziolectric Heads

[andrea_dworkin]

Sir, jokes about dead sex workers are not funny. You think you can browbeat our sex with your derogitory jokes, but watch out, the Matriarchy is coming, and your all gonna be eunuchs!

Re:no talent hacks...

[Anonymous Coward]

>Same could be said for computing, bub

Well, I suppose if you consider computing a sport, sure.

Even serious geeks don't, though.

Naked Olypics

[DoctorFrog]

The original Olypics were generally performed naked (and incidentally included "sports" such as competitive poetry reading, though I doubt that the poetry slams were performed naked). Indecency is in the mind of the beholder.

There's nothing inherently fair about naked wrestling, though, nor inherently unfair about using more advanced equipment. All other things being equal, including skill level, a large muscular person will win a wrestling match with a smaller slighter person. That's why weight classes were invented, to try and make sure that it was the skill that won out. This logic still only partially levels the field though; some people have inherently, genetically faster reflexes than others. What are you going to do, force them to bely down a couple of shots of reflex inhibitor (flavor optional) before competing?

The competition in sports is between two or more people, under some arbitrary set of rules. If you want to make sure everybody uses the same equipment, then you specifiy it in the rules; bats may or may not be made of aluminum, players may or may not ride an electric cart to the next stage of the competition.

Personally, I'd like to see both a naked olympics (not necessarily actually naked, but not technically assisted) AND a total free-for-all - not only are you allowed to be "professional" under the ridiculously convoluted Olympic rules regarding acceptance of money, but you can take drugs, train in a 3G centrifuge, be surgically cyborged into a totally transhuman state, et cetera... It'd only be a decade or so before all US objection to genetic engineering faded away once ESPN started lobbying, I betcha!

if you can't say anything nice...

[Supergrass]

I don't know about you, but I play tennis and I think this is pretty damn cool. I bet there are a lot of other people on here who feel the same way.

Re:if you can't say anything nice...

[Anonymous Coward]

Well, then at least allow me to say this:

In addition to the prostitution to which he was exposed during his youth, he could not right from the start discern a tragic law of nature: What would a 14 year old boy know of the fountain of youth which has quenched many a thirst? How should he know that the very sun that shines down his throat and lights up his heart with love will make him shake with delight as it pours it's golden treasures down into him and the love of nobleness reaches a magnitude bordering on tragedy?

In the present drama, this boy was about to undergo a dramatic transformation, drowning in a sexual identity whose deeper meaning was lost to him, and on his way to become the woman who germinated and was germinated. Only the honor gained from this gave him the will to do to the poor as was done unto him.

He was received freely for he was free for the taking, and he and others were also germinated during the long week of rain in the state of Ohio. This rainy season was specifically classified by field coaches as the wettest week in which the popularity of running in the rain and catching drops with a teaspoon exceeded all expectations.

Who would have thought that Howard Jones and this boy were both related with the 19th century Bleiersberg dynasty? Sadly, Howard on realizing this belted the germinating womanboy with the back of his hand where it hurt and the damaging blows which he struck took their toll on the hapless creature.

Re:anna kornakova uses an electric racket

[Anonymous Coward]

>Sir, wimmen are not objects for your sexual fantasies

No, they are all for MY sexual fantasies.

bleh.

[DarkHelmet]

I know how this is mechanical -> electrical energy going on, but I can't help but think:

Homer: Lisa made this perpetual motion machine today... and it just keeps going faster and faster.

New wonderbras now? Pizeoelectric bra!

[itsnotme]

At the risk of damaging my karma, I can already imagine my girlfriend asking me if I need to recharge any batteries because she ran out of batteries to recharge with her pizeoelectric wonderbra. 9 volt battery? no problem! a 5 mile jog should do the job! Dont want the cellphone to run down while talking on it? no problem! just go for a nice brisk walk!

For guys, it'd be pizeoelectric underwear and the uhm.. jostling ( hey guys.. you know what I'm talking about ) would generate some electricy.. but I cant htink of what guys would need to hook up to it other than the PDA, uh but beer cup cooler sounds about right..

Re:Oh dear..Here we go again...

[Microlith]

Bowie: You're an idiot.

This is a site covering news for nerds. A bit of tech such as this is interesting, to those who care to look.

SLASHDOT IS NOT ONLY ABOUT OPENSOURCE, SO SHUT THE FUCK UP.

Re:Oh dear..Here we go again...

[Anonymous Coward]

I agree with this post! I have a number of open sores, all over my ass and legs. I even have a few on my genitalia. Please help me and millions of others get the medicine we need for our open sores and run more stories about leeeenix loooving penguiiiin fuoooockers!

Re:Go chug some cock like a good boy...

[Carp Flounderson]

Ever since my first computer, I was never 100% sure that I wanted to be a computer geek for the rest of my life. But ever since I smoked my first joint, I've always wanted to be a part of the Ganja culture. It really is a unique sort of culture that you don't get exposed to too much if you're not a stoner. Sure, you'll see a pop-musician stoner, or a trendy stoner artist once in a while, but thats just the tip of the iceberg. There's a bunch of great music, art, and culture in general on this side of the ganja wall. If you're not familiar with it, you're missing out. Smoke a bowl today.

Legalize the herb.

Next it's going to be a personal coach

[Subcarrier]

Eventually you can run a microchip and a voice synth on the kinetic energy. Imagine a racket that gives running commentary about your performance...

*THWACK*

"Lame wrist!"

*THWACK*

"Hit harder!"

*THWACK*

"Is that the best you can do?"

*THWACK*

"Try aiming it"

*THWACK*

"Moron"

*THWACK*

"You'd think you could hit the field, it's big enough for Chris..."

*CRASH* *CRASH* *THUD* *THUD* *THUD*

"Why is the world going dark...?"

"I'm afraid, Mr. McEnroe."

"My mind is going...."

Re:Next it's going to be a personal coach

[gklyber]

Reminds me of the Pkunk in Star Control 2.

"Idiot"
"Moron"
"Loser"

Re:anna kornakova uses an electric racket

[andrea_dworkin]

You sexist pig!! Your trollish jokes are not amusing. If I wanted to have intercoarse with you, my foot would already be up your ass.

Re:Go chug some cock like a good boy...

[Carp Flounderson]

RT! Whats up in SC?!

Watch out.

[BrookHarty]

Wasnt there a upset a few years ago when they bicycle racing teams got too high tech. So the racing organization threw out 10+ years of winnings, and made everyone revert to more classic bikes? I'd be pissed if the french open did that later after you won a match. Those sports governing bodies are a fikle bunch.

Re:Watch out.

[alpinist]

You're thinking of the UCI and the world hour record, which is done on a track by a single rider who goes as far as they can in an hour. The International Cycling Union have officially reinstated the world hour record to Belgian great, Eddy Merckx, who rode 49.432 kilometres in 1972 in Mexico. They have renamed the current record (56.375 kilometres set by Chris Boardman) as the "Best Performance Over the Hour" while Merckx's record is the "UCI Hour Record".

The distinction was deemed necessary due to the technical improvements to the bicycle and position that made Boardman's hour so fast. The so-called 'superman' position developed by Scot Graeme Obree was outlawed in 1997, bringing to an end an era where the hour record was a battle of technology as well as the rider versus the wind.

Re:anna kornakova uses an electric racket

[mrfaustus]

As a defiance to your nazi-lesbian ramblings I will now mastubate to them, and enjoy it. You and your vagina lose.

Re:Whats up in SC...

[Carp Flounderson]

More of the same =)

Piezoelectric tennis shoes?

[llauren]

Why not put some piezoelectric technology in the players' tennis shoe while they're at it? Give some extra oomph into their spring :)

Still, how much power can this piezo element gather anyhow? Enough to drive a LED on the tennis shoe (or ball ;) or to actually do something useful? Somehow i feel that the power gained from the impact when the player hits the ball with his/her piezo-racket would not be too much, and so the dampening effect would be pretty weak. Or then they have very efficient (and lightweight) mechanics in it.

• ~llaurén

Re:Piezoelectric tennis shoes?

[foniksonik]

"how much power can this piezo element gather anyhow"

Just one example of tennis and physics:

http://www.kent.k12.wa.us/staff/trobinso/physics pa ges/PhysicsOf/Tennis/spot3.html

You might be surprise at how many lbs per in. squared go in to a good tennis swat. Definitely more than enough to power an efficient piezo device that will improve your stroke tens of percents.

Hey, the company's name is Head

[Anonymous Coward]

I just gotta get me some!

Re:How far can this be pushed? Energy going to was

[Subcarrier]

Well, in truth it's probably quite difficult to tap deeply into the kinetic energy without affecting the maneuverability of the racket. For instance, a pendulum in the handle might throw your game a little bit.

It's like the old gyroscope in the luggage trick. As long as you're walking straigt on everything is fine but as soon as you try to turn a corner you run into problems.

Uh oh...

[Daetrin]

*doublechecks the article*

So external batteries are not allowed, but piezoelectric materials are okay, because they're "self-powered"?

Ok, am i the only one here who is seriously worried about what they're going to come up with once tabletop fusion is economical?

as someone who worked for the ITF...

[rich951]

(and I was in the Technical department), it's interesting to see that there is no comment in there as to whether the technology actually *does* anything useful! Draw your own conclusions as to whether the main benefits are technological or marketing... I can assure you that this racket is something we looked at in some depth, and who knows what rule changes may appear in the future... (although the whole process of changing rules is pretty tortuous)

Disclaimer - I don't work there any more so these aren't official comments ;) Although I'm still writing my PhD thesis into the mechanics of tennis balls that the ITF funded...

I don't give a shit about Anna Kurwakova

[Anonymous Coward]

Tennis is so dull, you could probably carry 80 tennis matches concurrently on a 4 Mbit transponder and still get a decent picture. I don't give a shit about Anna Kurwakova (misspelling of name fully intentional).

White Trash and Rednecks?

[BadlandZ]

"if you're participating in a sport with zero cost of entry, you're probably going to be out on a field with rednecks and other white trash."

Like Soccer? Played because anybody can lay down two shirts as goals, and kick a can or rock to start playing? Making it the most popular sport in the world because of the low cost.

But, if forced to make an estimate, most white trash and rednecks like baseball and football, both of which require a much higher level of initial investment... And, how's that explain the popularity of Nascar?

I think the "low tech" sports like soccer seem to have more appeal to those who are more interested in the athletics of the sport. Where-as, there are people who just like "gear" and will do things just because they like to have/wear the gear... I don't think income/intellegence has a whole lot to do with it.

Re:White Trash and Rednecks?

[Pulzar]

And, how's that explain the popularity of Nascar?

Yes, there's people all over the place racing in Nascar-style cars! Not. Sure, Nascar is popular for *watching*, not *playing*. The whole discussion is about which sports people like to *play*.

But, if forced to make an estimate, most white trash and rednecks like baseball and football, both of which require a much higher level of initial investment...

How does football require more initial investment than soccer? Both only require a ball!

I'll agree baseball requires a little more, but it's been around for so long that almost every kid's father has a glove and a bat lying around, so no investment is required most of the time.

Re:White Trash and Rednecks?

[Anonymous Coward]

But, if forced to make an estimate, most white trash and rednecks like baseball and football

Oh, come on now. You wouldn't even consider saying "But, if forced to make an estimate, most niggers and wetbacks like basketball and football"

Or maybe you would, who knows.

Re:White Trash and Rednecks?

[Anonymous Coward]

Yes, there's people all over the place racing in Nascar-style cars! Not. Sure, Nascar is popular for *watching*, not *playing*. The whole discussion is about which sports people like to *play*."

Um, exactly. Find a sport that's too expensive for ANYONE to play and it's dubbed "white trash" yet, the premise was white trash only likes cheap sports...

Obviously, if you were to believe these statements, white trash loves a sport they can't even afford to play. So, I don't think it was a true statement.

How does football require more initial investment than soccer? Both only require a ball!

Obviously you have never tried to enroll a child into a football league. Theres pads, helmets, etc... much more equiptment than soccer.

It's somewhat true that Football can be played with only a ball, but in the US, if you play that way, your going to need a good insurance policy also (or are you talking about TOUCH football? I haven't seen that to be televised, so I don't think it's all that popular compared to soccer, the soccer rules don't change THAT much from Pro to street).

Re:White Trash and Rednecks?

[Sabalon]

You're jumping here. At first the argument was all you needed was a can and a couple shirts to have a make-shift soccer field. But then you jump to enrolling a child in a football league.

Am I to understand that there are soccer leagues out there playing with a can and a couple of shirts? Lets compare apples to apples.

A bunch of kids just playing could as easilly play football as soccer.

If you are talking about league play, then while each player will need all the pads for football, generally you see people buying new shoes, shin guards, outfits, and minivans/suv's for Soccer :)

But the real question is...

[Anonymous Coward]

... does it run Linux?

Re:die now plz

[Elbereth]

hahaha

no, really..

Back to [strike] drawing [/strike] tennis board

[MickLinux]

We should have tennis without technology?

Well, I guess it's back to the board --
not drawing board, but tennis board.

I am SHOCKED!

[PyRoNeRd]

Slashdot, my fave geeks news site is discussing SPORTS (barf).

Next time you'll be saying that Microsoft is good!!

Will you please refrain from mentioning sports in future or be honest about it at least and rename the caption "News for Jocks. Stuff that sweats".

First done with Skis

[BSDevil]

This idea of using piezoelectrics to dampen vibrations in sporting goods is nothing new - K2 has been making skis and more recently, snowboards with a similar system, both made by ACX back in since 1996/1997. From what I've garnered from the reviews and seeing the things in the shop, there was one credit-card seized piezo per ski, just in front of the binding, with a little red LED that was used to dissipate the energy generated from the vibrations. I've never actually skiied on a pair of these, but I'm told by a friend of mine who owned a pair of Fours (the first-generation Piezo ski) that they were wicked, and that the system really worked - especially on granular snow and ice.

Anyone lucky enough to own a pair of these, or are /. and skiing mutually exclusive?

Conservation of energy

[panurge]

I'm puzzled by this. What is the overall efficiency of the system going to be? There will be mechanical to electric conversion losses going in, and similar losses going out. The conversion efficiency can only relate to the energy actually transferred to the piezo generator, and this itself is only presumably a small fraction of the energy stored in the frame itself, the strings, and the energy stored in the deformation of the ball - which I imagine is quite large.

Unless I have missed something major here - always possible - the effectiveness of this system could be minimal. Reminds me of those ads that used to offer "Up to a such and such percent change in something" - where, of course, "up to" includes zero.

The situation with things like active suspension is quite different because plenty of outside power (from the alternator) is available to drive the moving parts, the same as with power steering and ABS.

Perhaps the real power source is a cold fusion unit in the handle, running off sweat.

Olin and K2 skiis have done this since 97

[ayeco]

In 1996 K2 launched a line a skis that also used Piezoelectric fibers. K2 made skis for Olin as well.

The skis used a plate manufactured by Active Control eXperts, Inc. Now owned by Cymer. Read more about the QuickPack actuators here. For info about the ski plate see here. The plates are used in Fightjet skins, waterskis, speakers, snowboards, shocks, etc.

I raced with the Olins and I swear they are my favorite skis ever - soft yet stiff when needed at high speeds and high vibration periods.

This is how it works

[ehiris]

Both the Intelligence and conventional rackets deflect backward somewhat upon ball impact. With a conventional racket, the ball leaves the stringbed before the racket returns to its normal position. The Intelligence, with its active electronic microchip system, creates a counterforce that deflects the racket slightly forward as the ball leaves the stringbed. The net effect is a 50 percent reduction in vibration.

Pictures and a more detailed description can be found here

Re:This is how it works

[panurge]

In fact, the PM article points out the output from the piezo devices is going to be about 1W ( 4 * "800V" * "a few hundred microamps". It then talks about increasing the current and sending it back. As piezo devices deflect based on applied voltage, not current, this is a bit nonsensical.
Not mention the "microelectronic circuit" which contains resistors, inductors and capacitors. And no active circuitry?
OK cynical suggestion. The actual damping is due to the composite design of aligned fibres embedded in a matrix. But that's been known about for years and isn't patentable. So add a critical design feature that is barely functional, and make that the basis of a claim. That should give us long enough protection...till the next innovation
Would a business do a thing like that?
Well, I have to admit I have full details of a US patent, fully granted, that is based on similar principles and for just the same reason.
Do, in fact, ursine mammals defecate in sylvian environments?

All a bit like .net, really.

Re:other applications, Barbecue Spark Starter and

[geekster_2000]

artificial muscles, motors, etc.

Perovskites -

has many different categories of cause and
effect applications, piezoelectric,
thermoelectric, photoelectric, and probably
the biggest and best future application is
3D Volume Holographic Optical Storage
NanoTechnology !!

http://colossalstorage.net

Perovskite - piezoelectric, ferroelectric & mo

[geekster_2000]

Perovskites -

has many different categories of cause and
effect applications, piezoelectric,
thermoelectric, photoelectric, and probably
the biggest and best future application is
3D Volume Holographic Optical Storage
NanoTechnology !!

http://colossalstorage.net

for consumers

[MrChuck]

They don't make money on Pros. The pro stuff is there as an advertisement for Joe Consumer.

This "technology" is semi-common in skis. Companies like, hmmm, HEAD.

The folks who put on LEDs to "show the dampening" stopped cause it was just a stupid gimmick that cost too much per ski.

Me? I think it makes no real different in skis. My ski's are attached to my feet and legs. They don't need help with the minor vibrations (eg. not the bumps). The dampening is minor. This isn't a power generator, it's supposed to just reduce the little "buzz" vibrations.

But there are perhaps wrist/elbow injuries associated with the "buzz" of wacking those balls around.

Gimmick still?

Oh yeah, but people will buy it. People like my uncle (who I can still beat with my 1978 racket).

Wrong wrong wrong

[phranking]

GAH! Almost no pro plays w/this racket. Tennis is a sport that requires extreme precision. You're not going to achieve that by switching frames every year. Manufacturers simply paint the frames of pros to match this season's latest release.

In fact, Pete Sampras has been playing with a racket that was introduced in 1984 - which is more like a good old fashioned wood frame than not.

Pure marketing gimmick - I'll bet money that Head won't be using the technology next year.

K2

[Zog]

From being a bike racer, the main thing that pops up is that K2 is involved in it - they're the guys that developed piezoelectric damping mountain bike forks, which I've heard perform really well. I wouldn't be surprised at all if a lot of the same technology is involved.

From a physics geek point of view, it sounds like they're using a spiffy inductance circuit attached to the strings to damp the strings (just figure out the harmonic frequency of the string and tune the inductor to counteract it), though I've no idea how the rest of it works.

But very pretty indeed ;-)

anyone here used one?

[2ms]

If anyone here has used one of these racquets (notice the correct spelling :p) then please post your impressions.

have you watched the final today?

[frankske]

How many rackets did both Ferrera and Costa use? I think 5 or 6! So whether or not the fibers live long ... as long as they last a few games, it's long enough!