Wednesday, March 28, 2007

Cricket and technology: Stickometer

Cricket is in the air and not describing it technological factors would not be fair.
So lets start it with...
SNICKOMETER:
Thanks to the creator of this wonderful technical innovation:-Mr. Alan Plaskett
Snickometer helps the viewers as well as commentrators to judge if the umpire's decision in giving the batsmen out was correct or not.(This creation doesnt allow the viewer to jump out of their tv sets to kill the umpire)
Working:-
A high-sensitive microphone is placed very close to the off stump(may be thats why every mumble of the wicket keeper becomes a shout) and is coinnected to an oscilloscope which measures the sound waves of the oncoming ball.Whenever the batsmen nicks a ball,the oscilloscope trace goes wild.By watching the slow motion replay alongside this graph,you can determine whether the noise picked up by the microphone coincides with the ball passing the bat.
AND
Before:The oscilloscope trace After: The spike in the trace
before the ball makes contact when the ball makes contact
with the bat with the bat

From the above screenshot you can clearly see the difference in the oscilloscope trace.In the first image there is no spike in the trace which means the batsman did not nick the ball whereas the second image clearly shows the spike indicating that the bat has made contact with the ball.
Todays Match:-
vs
West Indies vs New Zealand

Tuesday, March 27, 2007

The real World cup begins...

Finally The real world cup has kickstarted after 14 days of Ist stage of world cup...i.e the qualification matches are over and now the SUPER 8 has begun...
With the first match between Australia and West Indies.
The W.C started with 16 teams.
8 are here 8 gone
These matches will surely be great.
So get ready as the real world cup has begun.
Today's Match:-

vs
Australia vs Westindies