Camera systems are becoming more and more commonplace on tennis courts. They’re supposed to detect what the human eye can’t: whether a ball traveling at a high speed lands in or out of play. The problem with these systems? Most cost anywhere from $10,000 to $60,000 per court and can take multiple days to set up.
Grégoire Gentil, a French inventor living in Palo Alto, Calif., spent two years designing a solution to this problem. The solution is a device called In/Out. It’s a GoPro-sized device that can be set up and attached to a net post in under one minute. Oh, by the way, it’ll only run you the cost of an average tennis racket — $199.
“It’s really the first device that is low-cost and has this feature of electronic line-calling,” Gentil said.
Gentil’s goal with In/Out (which he designed in his own living room lab) was to come up with something for the recreational player who’s playing tennis every weekend. The device — which has a standard battery and can be treated like a USB — has a small screen on top and two cameras for the left and right sides of the court. It auto-calibrates to recognize the lines of the court.
“The idea is that when the ball is in, you have a green light with a single beep,” Gentil said. “When the ball is out, you have multiple beeps with a red light. It’s very similar to fencing.”
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Even at its low cost, In/Out does much more than detecting if a ball is in or out. The device provides statistics and video to aid in improving your game. “The system gives a lot of stats about the players,” Gentil said. “Where their shot is going, which part of the court, how high the ball is, how fast the ball is going, the spin, all of this.”
The computer vision in the device that recognizes the ball and players is designed similar to the Google self-driving car.
The statistics we’re used to seeing on TV during professional matches are now at the disposal of the everyday tennis player. After you’re done playing, all you have to do is connect In/Out to your Android or iOS device.
Along with the stats, HD video playback can be another tool used to improve your game.
In designing this, Gentil really wanted to make a “smart” GoPro. He also has plans to take this technology and apply it to other sports. “I’m starting with tennis but I would like to do badminton, volleyball, even basketball I have some ideas,” Gentil explained. “All the sports where you have players and a ball — this device can be applied.”