Sensor Technology:

Sensor technology really breaks down into, how the raw data from the swing is collected and communicated to the system to determine how the golf ball was hit and how it is shown on the course. This breaks down into three major categories of sensors: Radar, Camera and Infrared based systems. In my personal experience infrared and camera based systems tend to be more accurate and will give more feed back through the swing analysis software.

Radar:

The data is collected in much of the same way a radar gun collects its data. In my option it is not very accurate and is poor for giving feedback for a swing.

Camera:

Camera technology can be great due to the fact all of the data is collected when the ball passes through the view of the cameras (a small area) and requires no sensors in the ground. I would recommend this system to the people who cannot dedicate the floor space to an infrared based system (sensors in the ground or walls).

Infrared:

Infrared systems will give the best feedback for club fitting and swing analysis. I have found the best simulators use infrared based technology and I prefer an in-ground sensor. The data for a swing analyzer is most accurately taken at the point where the club meets the ball, again advantage in-ground infrared. The in-ground sensors make putting much more realistic. The draw back is the floor space which is required for these types of systems.

Putting:

Putting can be the most frustrating part of playing on a golf simulator, much of this is due to the placement of the sensors. On a radar based system the sensors are usually placed above the ball striking area. Many golfers’ upper body will block the sensors and this tends to lead to miss reads by the sensors. Camera and infrared systems are the best for putting, but beware there are many simulators where the sensors will impede the path of the putt. Again creating errors and misreads, better have those mulligan’s ready. Be weary of systems which have any sensor on the putting surface, the ball will not travel over the sensors accurately. The best system for putting is an in-ground infrared based system.

Sensor technology will have a major impact on the overall performance and playability of your simulator.

10 years back no one would have imagined in his wildest of dreams that a time will come when mobile phones will be attainable even for a rickshaw driver. Everything will be accessible on mobile devices. Bills will be paid, money would be transferred, online shopping done and data be stored on a single compact device called a mobile phone. This is what we call a revolution in mobile technology. This radical change has indeed taken us by a storm and transformed our lives for good.

Mobile communication is today growing by leaps and bounds. The limits to what a mobile can do have become unfathomable. Its horizons are continuously widening and the bridge between people and technology is narrowing. If everything from news to sports, weather forecast, social media was once available online, all these are now available on mobiles too. This is all because of the boom in mobile technology. Today the whole world is connected with billions of users which make 80% of the world population. This means that only 20% of the world population has remained untouched from this mobile metamorphosis. This kind of surge has been unparalleled in human history so far.

Talking about India, we are the second largest mobile market in the world after China. We have the fastest growing market in terms of net subscribers added per month. The best part is that this quantum leap is not only coming from the urban sector but also the rural sector. GSM technology has become common and we also have the highest per user talk time consumption. In tune with the cultural diversity of India, our mobiles are also multi-lingual and multi-regional.

The introduction of value added services (VAS) is culpable for this plunge in mobile technology. Be it music, literature, TV or shopping, mobile VAS has touched every aspect of our lives. Music downloads, innovative ring tones, captivating games, GPRS services, missed call alerts, mobile banking etc are all part of the VAS package offered by mobile companies. It will not be wrong to say that these VAS services have become a USP for companies selling mobile phones. This mobile entertainment market has led to an evolution of mobile networks. No doubt the mobile service providers are reaping full advantage of this trend and going to their banks laughing.

According to trade analysts, the next big thing already hitting the mobile market is social networking. Social media has become a global hub to discuss issues affecting the lives of people around the world. The customer has become a focal point around which the whole world of marketing and campaigns revolve.

This social web of mobile has simplified lives and connected different people. It has enabled a two-way communication model and provided a platform to discuss global issues, events and brands. At a time when more of the people access internet on mobiles rather than their computers, the marketing world is also making optimum use of this platform for its advertising and marketing campaigns.

Moreover, apart from mobile service providers, it’s the mobile application developers who are consummating this trend and coming up with newer and innovative solutions for the customers. Indeed, the time is ripe for the application developer companies to leverage technology and put it to its optimum use.