News Hackers create digitally assisted billiards

http://www.bit-tech.net/news/2008/12/12/hackers-create-digitally-assisted-billiards/1

Hackers at the Georgia Institute of Technology have created an augmented reality system which allows them to visualise a shot in billiards before it is taken.

 

That's awesome. I just wish I had tons of spare cash so I could donate a few grand to them so they could get some better equipment.

 

now all they need to know is how to hit the ball in a straight line without spinning it.

 

Exactly. It still can't control whereabouts on the cue ball you hit, nor the power with which you hit the it. But that information is vital to calculating the trajectories of the balls, so what kind of assumptions are they making when they draw the lines?

 

Which assumes a level of skill far exceeding my own

Yes, but in NASA terms, 1.3mm is a massive error

 

Is it just me or does this defeat the object of the game lol

 

It looks like it does really simple geometric calculations with angles to get an assumed trajectory, that's something I essentially do in my own head when looking at a pool table (but I am obviously not as accurate nor can guess beyond maybe one ball combo). It doesn't take into account any english (spin on the ball) and as mentioned before would require someone to hit the ball straight with no spin, which means it really not going to be a big help to someone's game other than teaching them to visualize where things will end up. I decent pool player with no assistance will be better than an 'newb' using this system.

Interesting, but not really that useful (and certainly not practical)

 

well this is not entirely accurate, does it take into account backspin? pressure? a bit of english spin? table material, and so forth, sorry but something like this is nothing more then geometry and well if you cant figure out something like where the que ball is going to impact and so on then wow talk about a serious lack of spacial perception.

 

You can always duct tape a wiimote to the cue stick,

 

^^^ but that doesnt help until after you hit it unless your talking like golf and you get next to what your about to hit to take a practice swing then maybe that would be a bit more viable but there is still other factors that I already mentioned that need to be considered and Im sure could be taken care with more programing and so on.

 

It seems very good for what it is. I'd like to see it go further.