Chinmaya IAS Academy – Current Affairs Chinmaya IAS Academy – Current Affairs
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It optimises the geometry of the bat
Using computer modelling and optimisation algorithms, the world’s best bat and maybe the most affordable could in the near future roll out from a lab to the cricket ground. A high performing ‘Algobat’, closely resembling the finest in the market and at a fraction of the price, is in the works in Canada’s University of British Columbia, where scientists have developed a novel algorithm that optimises the geometry of the bat and helps it hit the ball harder and further. Around one million people play cricket and 2.5 billion people watch the game, making it the world’s second most popular sport after football, noted UBC Professor Phil Evans, the leader of the project. “But for young children just starting out, the cost of a high-quality bat can be prohibitive,” Prof. Evans said in a statement. Young children dreaming of becoming the next Steve Smith, Eoin Morgan or Virat Kohli rarely have access to bats used by the stars of the game. The Algobat could be the tool to give wing to their dreams and hit the ball out of the park — literally. The result is a high performing bat that an aspiring cricketer can get their hands on at maybe just $30-40 and ultimately bring more talent into the sport, the scientists said. According to Sadegh Mazloomi, a researcher who wrote the algorithms, the idea was to optimise the geometry of the bat, specifically the back profile in order to minimise the vibration caused by ball’s impact. Therefore, more energy would transfer to the ball and the ball would fly further. “We used computer modelling of the bat and optimisation algorithms to achieve this goal,” Mr. Mazloomi said.
