(2003) News from Northeastern - the solution to checking baseball bat compliance: The corked bat detector, Northeastern University. (2002) Batting performance of wood and metal baseball bats. Available from: Ultrasonics.htm.Ĭrisco, J.J., Greenwald, R.M., Blume, J.D. (2005) Ultrasonic transducers - generating, detecting, and processing ultrasonic signals. Available from: TION=3700&PRIMID=&FileName=SENSCOMP.feb 2004.html.Ĭastles, D. (2004) Choosing an ultrasonic liquid-level sensor, Hearst Electronic Products. Harper Collins, New York, USA.īezerko, R. (2002) The Physics of Baseball, 3rd edition. Data acquisition issues encountered in prototyping the scanner will be examined and measurement data for both solid wood bats and modified bats will be evaluated to determine the effectiveness of the ultrasound-based data acquisition unit and the prototype’s ability to distinguish between both types of scatter signatures.Īdair, R.K. A detailed discussion of the performance enhancements resulting from illegally modifying a baseball bat will be provided and an analysis of the attenuative properties of wood will be presented to determine appropriate sample rates for the ultrasound unit. We therefore present an ultrasound-based implementation of a prototype for a hand-held scanner unit designed to detect illegally modified baseball bats. Ultrasound technology offers the ability to provide equivalent scatter signature measurements as compared to radar technology at a much lower cost and level of complexity while still operating in real time. Previously proposed solutions to this problem that involved using radar to measure the scatter signature of a scanned baseball bat were found to be extremely expensive. To date, no low-cost, non-invasive, real-time solution exists to this problem. Professional baseball players have attempted to illegally modify baseball bats in the hopes of increasing bat speed and thus the distance travelled by batted balls.

Download metal bats in mlb