Evolution of racket technology

12

October

2022

5/5 (1)

Tennis is one of the most popular racket sports in the world. However, it is believed to have been originated as a game played with bare hands. If one were to travel back in time to 11th century France, they would find French monks playing a crude courtyard ball game against their monastery walls or over a rope hung across a courtyard [1]. It took about 500 years for the first rackets to surface in tennis. In the early 16th century, the game moved away from handball to being played with a wooden frame racket laced with sheep gut. The modern racket was still more than 400 years away and came into existence only in 1947. Advances in laminating technology resulted in the first tennis racket made of laminated wood. This was a game changer in racket technology as racket strings were introduced. Until then tennis rackets were made of solid wood, first introduced in 1874 to enable playing tennis on the lawns of England with bouncier balls made of vulcanized rubber.
Substantial technology-driven improvements have gone into racket frames as well as racket strings. The start of the open era in 1968, when professionals and amateurs began competing together for cash prizes, was probably a key driver behind the rapid development of tennis rackets seen around this period. Luca et all have rightly stated that materials have driven the historical development of the tennis rackets. The shift from wood to steel in 1968 allowed Wilson to produce larger, lighter, and stronger rackets. These rackets had a larger power or sweet spot, a place in the hoop where the racquet strings vibrate best to translate player effort to kinetic energy for the ball. Ever since, the quest to reduce racket weight and increase the sweet spot of rackets has driven manufacturers to move from steel to aluminum to feather-light carbon graphite, Kevlar and titanium. A lightweight modern racquet with a lower moment of inertia about the handle is also easier for the player to wield, and they tend to swing them faster during strokes.
The design of racket strings and managing the right tension in them also contributes to the success of a modern tennis player. Racket strings which were initially made from cow intestines, are today made from nylon and polyester because of their cost and durability. The right string stiffness, vibrations, weight, and power distribution allow players to generate adequate power as well as spin on the ball. Grips used on rackets too need to be perfect as there are a few different types of tennis grips players can use to help facilitate consistent, powerful groundstrokes and shots.
In elite sports, one solution does not fit all. Customization is at the heart of improving player performance. Smart rackets, with sensors that track movement, power, and resistance are the latest additions to practice courts right now. Statistics on speed, spin and the point on the racket that’s connecting with the ball provide invaluable data for players to improve their game as well as for racket manufacturers to customize rackets better. CAD systems, finite element analysis and 3D printing are some of the technologies that are being used inside the labs of racket manufacturers to enable them to build the best rackets for players.
Sustainable manufacturing is the latest trend creating waves among racket manufacturers. Modern composite tennis racquets made using labour intensive processes are not very environmentally friendly and has been a point of contention. Racquet manufacturers have started exploring more sustainable materials, such as recycled and natural fibre composites, and more automated manufacturing techniques like additive manufacturing. Head, an Austrian racket manufacturer has replaced carbon fibres in racket frames with flax based plant fibres, used recycled plastic in racket handles and substituted nylon strings with strings made of reinforced natural gut.
Racket manufacturing, like every other aspect of tennis, is constantly undergoing technical reinvention and there is no doubt that further advances in racket technology will shape tennis into the future.

References:
1. History TV. (2019). History of Tennis. [online] Available at: https://www.history.co.uk/history-of-sports/history-of-tennis.

2. Thomas Allen, T.C. (2020). A smashing history of how tennis rackets evolved from wood to fibre and changed the game. [online] Scroll.in. Available at: https://scroll.in/field/950696/a-smashing-history-of-how-tennis-rackets-evolved-from-wood-to-fibre-and-changed-the-game.
3. Luca Taraborrelli, Robyn Grant, Matthew Sullivan, Simon Choppin, James Spurr, Steve Haake and Tom Allen. “Materials Have Driven the Historical Development of the Tennis Racket”. Appl. Sci. 2019, 9(20), 4352;
4. Gurvinder Singh Gandu (2012). The Evolution of the Tennis Racket. [online] Complex. Available at: https://www.complex.com/sneakers/2012/08/the-evolution-of-the-tennis-racket.

5. Ainbinder, R. (n.d.). The Evolution of the Tennis Racquet. [online] www.sportstechbiz.com. Available at: https://www.sportstechbiz.com/p/the-evolution-of-the-tennis-racquet.
6. UK, S. (2018). The Evolution of Tennis: How Technology is Advancing the Game. [online] The SOLIDWORKS Blog. Available at: https://blogs.solidworks.com/solidworksblog/2018/07/the-evolution-of-tennis-how-technology-is-advancing-the-game.html.
7. Popular Mechanics. (2020). Tennis Racket Technology Is Way More Elaborate Than You Think. [online] Available at: https://www.popularmechanics.com/adventure/sports/a30610612/tennis-racket-technology/ [Accessed 12 Oct. 2022].



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Sleep like a baby in the arms of AI

6

October

2022

5/5 (1)

A good night’s sleep isn’t a luxury it’s a necessity. Lack of sleep is extremely detrimental to humans, be it short-term or long-term. Getting less than 7 hours of sleep or disturbed sleep could even lead to serious ailments like high blood pressure or heart problems. A night of good sleep is not only good for physical health but also mental health. Our busy lifestyles don’t enable us to sleep better, and the built-up stress is only going to dilapidate further (Cleveland Clinic, 2015)

So how to ensure you sleep like a baby every night? The answer to that question is the most common answer to any question these days – yes, Artificial Intelligence (AI).
AI has become ingrained in our lives, it is the silent disrupter we don’t deserve but need. For every function we do as humans, there is an AI algorithm to help us do it better. Tracking our food, suggesting suitable diets, health monitoring, exercises, sports, what movies to watch and, shopping suggestions, any trivial activity there is, AI has left its mark. Sleep has not escaped this disruption. The benefits of AI-backed mattresses are multi-fold, so how can this be incorporated into mattresses and what are the benefits? (Choudhury, 2019)
The use case of AI in mattresses can be divided into 2 – one for data collection and the other for reactive dynamic responses.
Sleep studies and sleeping patterns speak volumes about the health of an individual, this can also track any changes during sleep in the elderly and babies – body temperature, heart rate, respiration rate etc. This active data collection and monitoring is beneficial to anyone staying alone and can alert emergency contacts in case of any unusual pattern. In addition to safety, the sleep data connected to smart home devices or any IoT environment can record the optimum temperature for sleep, the lighting and sound. The sleep patterns equipped with surrounding data can later be used to derive trends and set a conducive environment for sleep.
The next big revolution in sleep tech is – an AI-powered mattress that adjusts according to your needs. Have a different sleeping posture? Roll around at night? No worries, as the mattress can adjust itself to a comfortable position to provide a comfortable night’s sleep. AI-powered mattresses equipped with sensors can also provide varying temperatures in the bed for you /your partner. Companies are also coming up with noise-cancelling pillows to cancel the sound of snoring and other external noise and thus enable a peaceful sleep environment.

Sleep tech is growing at a CAGR of 14.5% between 2020 and 2030. There are major tech giants like Xiaomi, Samsung and Apple who are getting into sleep tech.(www.businesswire.com, 2022)

HEKA is the first company to release AI-powered mattress into the market, and there are many more to follow. The growth in this industry is definitely something to keep an eye out on! A peaceful night’s sleep is just around the corner.

References:
1. Cleveland Clinic (2015). What Happens to Your Body When You Don’t Get Enough Sleep. [online] Health Essentials from Cleveland Clinic. Available at: https://health.clevelandclinic.org/happens-body-dont-get-enough-sleep/.
2. Choudhury, A. (2019). 4 Ways AI-Powered Mattresses Can Help One Sleep Better. [online] Analytics India Magazine. Available at: https://analyticsindiamag.com/4-ways-ai-powered-mattresses-can-help-one-sleep-better/ [Accessed 6 Oct. 2022].
3. www.businesswire.com. (2022). Sleep Technology Devices Market Report 2021 – Global Industry Analysis and Demand Forecast to 2030 – ResearchAndMarkets.com. [online] Available at: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220124005552/en/Sleep-Technology-Devices-Market-Report-2021—Global-Industry-Analysis-and-Demand-Forecast-to-2030—ResearchAndMarkets.com [Accessed 6 Oct. 2022]

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