A joint project between ITRI and the economics ministry has resulted in a new high-tech golf simulator that immerses the player in a virtual course. The program features highly integrated software and hardware, and it analyzes the player’s stroke to bring big improvements to their swing. The developers say interest in such tech boomed during the pandemic, and they are eyeing big opportunities in the coming years.
A swing of the club and a virtual golf ball flies through the air, a projected image displaying a 270-degree view of the ball’s movement. The screen shows where the ball lands, as well as analytical data about the swing, and the path of the ball. The technology helps golfers improve their swing, and lets them compete online with others.
As the terrain of the virtual golf course changes, the software uses AI and big data to predict how the golfer’s posture would change. This system is the result of a collaborative effort between the Industrial Technology Research Institute and the economics ministry, and is the first domestically produced high-resolution simulation program of its kind.
Chiu Chiu-hui
Economics ministry
We hope to work with sports technology, and to integrate the domain of sports with information technology, which is an area that Taiwan excels in. We’re aiming for more integration and greater value enhancement.
Cheng Jen-chieh
ITRI
This is the latest type of software, which melds together the metaverse and virtual reality. The software and hardware are highly integrated, and it incorporates sports-related knowledge. It’s the newest technology, and is the first of its kind in Taiwan, the first even in East Asia, or the Indo-Pacific.
Through their efforts, ITRI and the economics ministry hope to capitalize on Taiwan’s strengths in technology. They also have high hopes for the global sports industry in 2025, which is projected to be worth US$600 billion.
Yang Pei-feng
Virtual golf operator
Due to the pandemic, the golf industry has flourished over the past two years. This type of technology takes sports science and integrates it with golf-specific science, and makes it easier for people to get into golf.
The virtual golf course also offers wearable technology that simulates being on a real course. That means that rain or shine, hitting the green has never been easier.
