Abstract
Quantitative analysis and real-time feedback of golf short-game techniques rely on high-precision visual capture of swing trajectories and ball motion. Portable putting simulators must achieve high-speed, blind-spot-free motion recording within limited spaces and under simplified deployment conditions. To address this requirement, this study explores integrating an endoscope camera module-featuring an ultra-wide field of view and high-definition, high-speed imaging capabilities-into a portable golf putting analysis system. This integration aims to leverage the module's superior wide-angle coverage and image resolution to capture the entire swing plane and initial ball trajectory with a single-camera solution. This provides stable, continuous visual data for motion analysis algorithms, simplifying system architecture while ensuring analytical reliability.
I. Visual Capture Bottlenecks and Requirements for Portable Putting Analysis Devices
The core functionality of modern golf putting simulators lies in non-intrusively recording the continuous motion sequence from clubhead initiation, ball contact, to the initial roll of the ball. This process poses multiple challenges to the visual system: First, the camera must cover a fan-shaped area extending from behind the player's stance to several feet in front of the ball to ensure complete recording of both the clubhead path and ball trajectory. Second, the rapid swing speed demands cameras with sufficiently high frame rates to capture key postures while avoiding motion blur. Finally, the system must maintain portability and rapid deployment capabilities, necessitating compact visual components with simple interfaces and controlled power consumption. While traditional multi-camera solutions can expand the field of view, they increase system complexity, calibration difficulty, and cost, hindering the adoption of consumer-grade products.
II. Technical Characteristics of the Imaging Module and Its Adaptability for Motion Capture
The imaging module employed in this study features optical and sensor designs specifically tailored to the aforementioned spatial and dynamic capture requirements. Its lens utilizes a fixed-focus design with a focal length of 2.2mm ± 5%, achieving an ultra-wide field of view (FOV) of 190° horizontally, vertically, and diagonally. This expansive field of view, approaching fisheye effects, enables a single module to comprehensively capture a player's foot position, putting stroke trajectory, and the ball's early roll path after leaving the clubface from a reasonable distance within the putting action area. This capability potentially replaces multi-camera arrays, significantly simplifying system architecture and on-site calibration procedures.
The sensor employs a high-resolution design with effective pixels of 3552 (horizontal) x 3576 (vertical). The high pixel density combined with an F2.4±5% aperture ensures rich image detail in well-lit indoor environments. This is critical for subsequent software algorithms to accurately identify putter head feature points and calculate their spatial position and velocity vectors. Although the maximum frame rate is not explicitly stated in the specifications, such sensors typically support high frame rate modes, meeting the basic requirements for capturing fast swing motions.
The module features a compact physical design with primary mounting dimensions maintained within millimeter-level tolerances (e.g., 30.00±0.2mm, 13.05±0.3mm). It incorporates a standard 40-pin board-to-board connector with 0.5mm pitch (0.5S-2X-26-WB02). This standardized, miniaturized packaging facilitates easy integration into simulator hosts or dedicated camera arms, aligning with the product's "compact and portable" design philosophy. Its operating voltage is compatible with conventional embedded systems, and power consumption is optimized for battery or external adapter power supply in portable devices.
III. Module Integration Optimizes Putting Simulator System Performance
Integrating this ultra-wide-angle imaging module into putter simulators like the Exputt RG delivers core value by achieving critical motion capture objectives with minimal hardware. Mounting the module at an optimal position in front of or above the putting mat allows its 190° ultra-wide field of view to simultaneously capture the player, putter, and ball's initial movement zones.
On the software side, a dedicated tracking algorithm processes the module's high-definition video stream. First, leveraging the ultra-wide lens's expansive field of view, the algorithm initializes the spatial relationships among the player's posture, putter position, and golf ball within a single frame. Subsequently, through frame-by-frame analysis, it precisely tracks the putter head's trajectory (including path, velocity, and acceleration) and the ball's initial direction and speed after impact. The inherent edge distortion of wide-angle lenses is corrected through pre-calibrated algorithms, ensuring accuracy in position and angle calculations.
This integrated solution directly addresses the product's requirement for "easy setup and simple operation." Users need not adjust multiple camera angles or synchronization; simply connect the single-camera device and lay out the putting mat to begin practice. The stable single-camera data stream also reduces system maintenance complexity. Simultaneously, the high-definition image output provides high-quality visual material for real-time swing replays and analysis data display (e.g., clubhead path curves, impact angles) on large-screen devices like televisions, enhancing training immersion and feedback intuitiveness.
IV. Conclusion: Monocular Ultra-Wide-Angle Solution Empowers Portable Sports Analysis Devices
By deeply integrating ultra-wide-angle, high-resolution imaging modules into portable golf putting simulators, this study validates the feasibility of achieving wide-area motion capture with a single camera. This solution effectively balances system performance, complexity, cost, and user experience, lowering the barrier to professional sports analysis to consumer-grade product levels.
This not only provides an efficient technical pathway for golf training equipment but also demonstrates a design philosophy-simplifying traditional multi-sensor systems through high-performance integrated vision modules-that can be extended to other scenarios requiring portable, rapidly deployable motion analysis or posture interaction. This highlights the critical role of core imaging component technological evolution in driving innovation within professional consumer electronics.
