Systems and methods of analyzing moving objects

Abstract

A method includes triggering a camera to capture a plurality of images of a moving object while the object is in a field of view of the camera. At least a portion of a flight path of the moving object may be in the field of view of the camera. The flight path of the moving object may include an initial point of the moving object and a batting area. The method further includes extrapolating one or more flight characteristics of the moving object using the plurality of images to generate an extrapolation of the one or more flight characteristics of the moving object. The method also includes measuring a speed of the moving object using a radar device. The method includes verifying the one or more flight characteristics of the moving object based on the speed of the moving object.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method, comprising:
 triggering a camera to capture a plurality of images of a moving object while the object is in a field of view of the camera, wherein at least a portion of a flight path of the moving object is in the field of view of the camera, wherein the flight path of the moving object includes an initial point of the moving object and a batting area;   using the plurality of images, extrapolating one or more flight characteristics of the moving object to generate an extrapolation of the one or more flight characteristics of the moving object;   measuring a speed of the moving object using a radar device; and   verifying the one or more flight characteristics of the moving object based on the speed of the moving object.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the flight characteristics include speed, velocity, rotation, axis of rotation, speed of rotation, vertical angle of elevation, azimuth angle, trajectory, and release angle. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein verifying the one or more flight characteristics of the moving object based on the speed of the moving object comprises:
 verifying the one or more of the flight characteristics by comparing the extrapolation of the one or more flight characteristics of the moving object with the speed of the moving object; and   modifying the one or more of the flight characteristics in response to a determination that the extrapolation of the one or more flight characteristics of the moving object and the speed of the moving object are different.   
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the moving object includes a baseball and the initial point of the moving object includes a pitcher's mound. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , further comprising characterizing a pitch of the baseball as one of a fastball, a curve ball, a breaking ball, or a slider based on a direction of a rotation and a release angle of the baseball. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 4 , further comprising characterizing a pitch of the baseball as a ball or a strike based on a comparison of flight characteristics of the pitch of the baseball with a set of reference flight characteristics associated with a set of reference pitches. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the camera is a single camera located behind home plate. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the moving object entering the field of view of the single camera triggers the capturing of the plurality of images. 
     
     
         9 . A system comprising:
 a camera;   a memory; and   a processor communicatively coupled to the memory and configured to read instructions stored on the memory causing the processor to perform operations, the operations comprising:
 trigger a camera to capture a plurality of images of a moving object while the object is in a field of view of the camera, wherein at least a portion of a flight path of the moving object is in the field of view of the camera, wherein the flight path of the moving object includes an initial point of the moving object and a batting area; 
 using the plurality of images, extrapolate one or more flight characteristics of the moving object to generate an extrapolation of the one or more flight characteristics of the moving object; 
 receive a speed of the moving object from a radar device; and 
 verify the one or more flight characteristics of the moving object based on the speed of the moving object. 
   
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 9 , wherein the flight characteristics include speed, velocity, rotation, axis of rotation, speed of rotation, vertical angle of elevation, azimuth angle, trajectory, and release angle. 
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein verifying the one or more flight characteristics of the moving object based on the speed of the moving object comprises:
 verifying the one or more of the flight characteristics by comparing the extrapolation of the one or more flight characteristics of the moving object with the speed of the moving object; and   modifying the one or more of the flight characteristics in response to a determination that the extrapolation of the one or more flight characteristics of the moving object and the speed of the moving object are different.   
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 9 , wherein the moving object includes a baseball and the initial point of the moving object includes a pitcher's mound. 
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 12 , the operations further comprising characterizing a pitch of the baseball as one of a fastball, a curve ball, a breaking ball, or a slider based on a direction of a rotation and a release angle of the baseball. 
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 12 , the operations further comprising characterizing a pitch of the baseball as a ball or a strike based on a comparison of flight characteristics of the pitch of the baseball with a set of reference flight characteristics associated with a set of reference pitches. 
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 9 , wherein the camera is located proximate to an end of the flight path. 
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 15 , wherein the moving object entering the field of view of the camera triggers the capturing of the plurality of images. 
     
     
         17 . A method, comprising:
 triggering at least one camera to capture a plurality of images of a moving object while the moving object is in a field of view of the at least one camera and between an initial point of the moving object and a ball travel termination area;   extrapolating one or more flight characteristics of the moving object based on the plurality of images;   measuring a speed of the moving object using a radar device; and   verifying the one or more flight characteristics of the moving object based on the speed measured by the radar device.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , further comprising revising the one or more flight characteristics of the moving object based on the speed measured using the radar device. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the one or more flight characteristics includes an extrapolated speed of the moving object. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the moving object includes a baseball and the initial point of the moving object includes a pitcher's mound.