ContaBat: Designing and Prototyping an Attachable Sports Analytics Device That Provides Ball-Bat Impact Location for Performance Enhancement

This paper introduces ContaBat, an attachable device for a cricket bat that provides important performance metrics like ball-bat impact location, rotation due to impact, and impact force which could be used by players, coaches and fans to gain insights about their performance. Of the metrics mentioned, obtaining the impact location is the most novel feature and is the focus of this paper. Piezo-electric sensors placed at the back of the bat are used to record pressure measurements due to impact and utilize time difference of arrival techniques (TDOA) to pinpoint the impact location. For further product realization and development, it was essential to create a prototype. The prototype was instrumental in providing testing conditions that could simulate a real-world environment, identifying the limitations of the data acquisition methods used, evaluating the usability of the product, and helping future researchers envision the final form of the product and the impact it could create before commercializing the product. The results of the algorithms showed that the accuracy of the methods used resulted in the impact location being within 0.002 m of the hit spot, with the percentage error being higher towards the edges of the bat than the middle. This paper will discuss in detail the data acquisition and data analysis methods used to measure impact location on a cricket bat, the design considerations while creating the prototype, and the insights gained from prototyping.