‘Smart’ pitching machine unveiled as Team Taiwan’s secret weapon

‘Smart’ pitching machine unveiled as Team Taiwan’s secret weapon

2024-11-29

Taiwan’s victory in the Premier12 championship is partly thanks to data gathered behind the scenes. One of their secret weapons is a million-dollar “smart” pitching machine. The team can input data specific to their opponents to simulate their pitching styles with over 90% accuracy.

Balls are pitched automatically by this machine for the batter to hit with perfect accuracy.

Catchers can also practice catching different types of pitches. This iPitch “smart” pitching machine has been called the secret weapon of Taiwan’s championship Premier12 squad.

Hsieh Ta-wei
Coach
If you collect the data, you can input your opponent’s rotational speed, angle, and pitch speed. It’ll give pitches based on the information you gave it.

You just need to input past data from your opponent and the machine can simulate their pitches as though they’re standing on the mound in front of you.

The “smart” pitching machine costs NT$1 million to make. While basically every team in the MLB has one, there are only two in Taiwan. One was used by the national team to prepare for their latest competition, while the other is at the Southern Taiwan University of Science and Technology.

Baseball student
You can of course improve by practicing more types of pitching styles with technology in addition to just traditional methods.

The precision equipment can manipulate three rotational axes and be electronically controlled. It’s programmed to store pitching data in the cloud, so that batters can practice hitting balls from pitchers they haven’t yet faced off against with up to 90% accuracy.

Combining technology with sports helped Taiwan defeat Japan to win the world championship, while also helping a new generation of athletes hone their skills.

For more Taiwan news, tune in:
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台灣隊奪冠秘密武器! 智慧型發球機模擬強投球路

2024-11-29

世界12強棒球賽，台灣隊奪下冠軍，情蒐方面也是幕後功臣，其中秘密武器是一台造價百萬的"智慧型發球機"，可以提前輸入對方投手的數據資料，來模擬各種球路，準確率超過9成。

球從機器自動投出，打者精準命中。

捕手也能練習各種球路，這台IPitch智慧型發球機，號稱這次12強賽，台灣隊訓練的秘密武器。

[[教練謝大偉]]
“如果去情蒐的話，你可以把對方投手的轉速，還有轉軸、球速，他就會按照你輸入的資料去發球”

只要把對方投手過去的數據資料，輸入機器，就能模擬真實球路，彷彿對手就在眼前。

智慧型發球機，造價百萬，雖然在美國大聯盟幾乎每個隊上都有，但在台灣卻是僅有兩台，其中一台提供這次台灣隊訓練，而另外一台，目前就在南臺科技大學。

[[棒球隊學生]]
“針對更多投手類型去練習，比以前傳統土法鍊鋼，加科技一定會更進步”

精密器材，結合三軸發球，加上晶片控制，透過程式驅動，雲端資料庫儲存投手的投球數據，讓打者面對沒遇過的投手，提前練習，而準確率，可達9成。

運動結合科技，幫助台灣隊抗日成功，奪下冠軍，這款訓練神器也協助培育更多優秀選手。

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Jayant Menon
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Both risks and opportunities as the world figures out how to respond to the return of an unpredictable U.S. president.

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For more Taiwan news, tune in:
Sun to Fri at 9:30 pm on Channel 152
Tue to Sat at 1 am on Channel 53

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Government mulls mental health leave for public servants

The issue of mental health has become a hotly debated topic in Taiwan, after the suicide of a labor ministry worker that was reportedly caused by workplace bullying. Earlier this year, the government rolled out mental health leave at school campuses, and it’s hoping to expand the plan to civil servants in the future. But many unresolved issues remain, such as whether the leave will be paid or not.

Lai Ching-te
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At a meeting of the Healthy Taiwan Promotion Committee, President Lai Ching-te stressed that the government needed to take care of the people’s physical and mental wellbeing. The comments come after a suicide suspected to be caused by workplace bullying at the Ministry of Labor. Lai said the government will take the lead in discussions on instituting mental health leave for public servants.

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Hospitals are probably in great need of this. You can’t see it, but the pressure is enormous.

In Taiwan, mental health leave is already in place for students. Last February, a total of 127 colleges and universities began permitting up to three days of mental health leave each semester. Each time students apply, it can be for half or a full days leave. Senior high schools and vocational high schools followed suit in August. In addition, the government is expanding its free counseling services.

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The second installment of TSMC founder Morris Chang’s autobiography hit bookstores on Friday. Many people rushed to buy it on the first day of its release, hoping to understand the story of the company, known locally as the holy mountain that protects the nation.

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