Tag Archives: golf

AI-powered self-driving golf trolley can follow you around and give you tips

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It’s too easy to underestimate golf as a sport, but the ability to hit a small ball with an equally small stick and have it roll into a hole miles away is no easy feat. It requires no small amount of skill, focus, and concentration, all of which could be undone by the stress of having to mind things not directly related to playing the game, such as carrying all those golf clubs. You can always hire people to carry those for you, a.k.a. caddies, but that might not always be a feasible option. We’re at an age where not just vacuum cleaners but also cars can already drive themselves, so why not have a trolley do that as well? And with some AI magic, it can even be your golf coach, too!

Designer: Futurewave, Botronics

That is the kind of liberating experience that the iXi robot golf trolley is promising. It is an extremely minimalist four-wheeled robot designed to carry your bag of golf clubs and follow you wherever you go. Although it could raise concerns about the potential loss of human employment, the self-driving robot offers players more freedom of movement and convenience without having to worry about needing someone to do that work. It allows them to simply focus on the task at hand: playing golf. It’s like having your own personal caddy, without the potential source of distraction.

Although iXi does have sensors and intelligence to follow its human owner, its AI also serves a second purpose. It can analyze the player’s swing and offer insights that could help improve their gameplay. It’s pretty much like what those golf smartwatches try to offer, but with a better view of the player’s posture and swing thanks to cameras and sensors. Maybe someday, iXi will even be able to offer the right club to use and have it ready even before the player reaches for it.

iXi’s intelligence is perhaps hidden by its extremely simple design, a platform with four wheels, a post to support a golf bag, and a handle that holds the screen controller. This design was made by choice, of course, as it makes it easy for the trolley to fold down into a compact form for easier transport. It could save you not only space but also money in the long run, without losing the peace of mind that comes with not having to carry a heavy bag of clubs on your shoulder every time you have to move to the next spot.

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VR hit Walkabout Mini Golf is getting a mobile edition

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Walkabout Mini Golf has been filled with players ever since it launched around the same time as the Meta Quest 2. Now the multiplayer mini-golf game is making the jump to iOS devices.

The developer Mighty Coconut is currently beta testing its mobile mini-golf game Walkabout Mini Golf: Pocket Edition and plans to release a full version on the App Store on October 10.

The Pocket version may be on mobile devices but the miniature version of the mini-golf game isn’t straying away from its virtual interface. The iOS Walkabout game can be played in two different modes: “Touch-to-Putt” mode in which you use the touch screen to tap and drag your shot and “Swing-to-Putt” mode in which you hold your iPhone like a putter and take your swing the same way you would in the VR version.

Walkabout Mini Golf is one of the most popular multiplayer VR games for the Meta Quest series. The virtual mini-golf game has an extensive series of stylized courses including some based on movies, TV shows and games like Jim Henson’s Labyrinth, the puzzle game Myst and the animated clay characters Wallace & Gromit. Mighty Coconut also designed a golf course with the immersive art company Meow Wolf and a series of courses based on the works of Jules Verne.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/vr-hit-walkabout-mini-golf-is-getting-a-mobile-edition-214918605.html?src=rss

Golf-inspired luxury mechanical watch boasts a shapeshifting face that changes every day

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I assume that there’s a significant overlap between the watchlover demographic and the golf-playing demographic. Both of them are indicators of high-society, and people who love golf or watches don’t hesitate to flaunt their interests. Designed for specifically that intent, the Byrne Gyro Dial Golf timepiece combines the love for time and turf into one gorgeous mechanical design. The watch comes with a grassy dial, featuring a 3D watch face that tells the time while also highlighting its mechanical prowess. The dial boasts an open-worked rotor at the center, with four mechanical number cubes on the top, bottom, left, and right. As the day passes, the cubes rotate to ‘refresh’ the watch face, alternating between Roman and conventional numbers, and even replacing them with golf balls or golf clubs. Every day, the watch changes its face, giving you something new to look forward to each day, and something to brag about when you’re showing your timepiece off to your friends on the green…

Designer: Byrne

Byrne’s Gyro collection is known for its dynamic displays. Unlike conventional watches with static dials, the Gyro Dial features four rotating cubes that change faces every 24 hours, revealing new designs. The Golf edition takes this a step further by incorporating miniature golf-themed engravings on these cubes.

Imagine glancing at your wrist and seeing classic Roman numerals one day, then playful golf clubs (driver, iron, sand wedge, putter) the next. The watch even features miniature, intricately detailed golf balls with realistic dimples. For traditionalists, sporty Arabic numerals are also included in the rotation.

This unique display isn’t just about aesthetics. The rotating cubes are a feat of engineering. To accommodate the additional weight of the miniature sculptures, Byrne has refined their automatic Calibre 5555 movement. This Swiss-made marvel ensures smooth and precise daily rotations.

The Byrne Gyro Dial Golf is housed in a sleek, 41.7mm grade 5 titanium case with a green-tinted main plate that subtly references the golf course. The sapphire caseback offers a glimpse into the intricate workings of the movement, showcasing its open-worked rotor with elegant finishes.

A comfortable green rubber strap completes the sporty look. Limited to just 24 pieces, the Gyro Dial Golf has a starting price of CHF 25,000 (approx $27,500 USD).

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Golf Ball Case with a clever spiral-shaped design lets you TWIST to push new balls out

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I’m not a golfer myself, but I imagine that for people who DO golf, carrying your equipment around can be quite an elaborate affair… given that you’re constantly moving from one spot to another. Golf clubs usually have their large bag that you transport them in, but as far as golf balls go, I’m not entirely sure I’ve seen any well-designed container for them. For designers at superkomma, that sounded like a perfect design opportunity – meet the Attomax Golf Pouch, a spiral hard-case that lets you store as well as deploy golf balls with ease.

Designer: superkomma

The GIF above explains everything you need to understand about the Attomax Golf Pouch. Two spiral-shaped containers thread into one another, allowing you to expand or contract the case simply by twisting and turning the lower element. Use the case to store golf balls, and every time you need a new one, simply twist to make the case shorter, allowing the golf ball at the bottom to rise to the top. It’s a simple, yet delightful user experience that serves its purpose well, is memorable, and will probably have your fellow golfers asking you where you got the pouch from!

Simplicity is the name of the Attomax pouch’s game. Its form is deceptively rudimentary, relying on a basic geometric spiral that catches light beautifully, along with a two-tone container design. The pouch is compact, yet big enough to hold probably 4 golf balls at a time, although you’ll still need to carry your tees separately (those tiny skewers you perch your golf balls on before swinging). The Attomax comes with a lid to hold the balls in place (obviously), but also has a nice leash that your caddy can string around their leash so they always have the next ball ready for when you need to take a shot.

The pouch was designed for Attomax, a reputed golf brand known for making the world’s first high-density golf ball using amorphous metal alloy. superkomma pointed out that the idea of using two different colors for the container’s separate halves wasn’t just an aesthetic choice, it also helped users intuitively determine how many golf balls were inside the case simply by seeing the ‘ratio’ between the two colors based on how expanded or contracted the case was. For example, if the purple half is just as long as the blue half, the case has 4 balls. Any shorter and you’re down to three balls. If the purple half has been turned to its maximum point (where it’s barely visible), the case has anywhere from 1 to 2 golf balls.

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