This product concept developed from the desire to improve the efficiency of training time for athletes. Through personal experience and observation, we noticed that when a basketball player practices shooting, a large fraction of time is spent retrieving successful shots. Perversely, the player spends less effort on unsuccessful shots, which often bounce back onto the court and closer to the player. Successful shots are slowed and directed downward by the net, making them more difficult for the shooter to retrieve quickly. Our product both increases the effective output of practice time and reverses this contradictory reward structure. When using our device, a successful shot is returned towards the player. An unsuccessful shot is not affected by the device and bounces as it normally would. Thus the player saves time by reducing the amount of time spent retrieving balls. Additionally, the player is rewarded for a successful shot with a direct ball return. Market research shows a desire for such a product and supports the estimated price tag of $200-300. |
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Ball return with player position-tracking |
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