Revolutionizing Golf Training with Foresight Sports and Altium

• Analytics & Modeling - Digital Twin / Simulation
• Application Infrastructure & Middleware - Middleware, SDKs & Libraries

• Electronics
• Equipment & Machinery

• Product Research & Development

• Virtual Prototyping & Product Testing
• Virtual Reality

• System Integration

Foresight Sports, a San Diego-based company, is known for its sophisticated golf data collection tools that help golfers and teaching professionals improve their game. The company's systems, which include portable launch monitors and indoor golf simulation systems, use high-speed cameras to capture a series of images during the first several inches of ball flight. These images are then analyzed to measure speed, launch angle, and spin. However, the design of these devices, particularly the GCQuad and the GCHawk, posed significant challenges. The GCQuad, which used the framework of two existing products, required four different rigid-flex boards and an unusual design to fit inside its upright, hourglass-shaped chassis. The GCHawk, on the other hand, had to accommodate a six-layer rigid-flex board, three circuit-layer boards, a 14-layer high-speed board, and a two-layer LED board with an indicator, all within a narrow space.

Foresight Sports is a company based in San Diego, California, that specializes in creating sophisticated golf data collection tools. Their products are designed to help golfers and teaching professionals improve every aspect of their game, both indoors and outdoors. The company's signature devices include portable launch monitors and indoor golf simulation systems, as well as a hands-free, remote control-operated caddy system. Their most popular devices are the simulation systems launch monitors, particularly the GCHawk and the GCQuad. The GCHawk is an indoor simulation system that allows golfers to practice on realistic reproductions of the world's most iconic golf courses, while the GCQuad's advanced object-sensing and image-capturing technology gives it a leading edge over any launch monitor on the market.

To overcome these design challenges, Foresight Sports turned to Altium Designer, a software that they have relied on since 2013. Altium Designer was instrumental in the design of both the GCQuad and the GCHawk. For the GCQuad, the software helped maintain signal integrity and ensure that all the boards fit inside the chassis. For the GCHawk, Altium Designer's key features, including Draftsman, stackup, and impedance tools, made the design process much easier. The software allowed the team to enter their exact stackup and materials and determine trace/space for matched impedances. Furthermore, Altium Designer's library management capabilities made it easy to access part data, saving time on library creation. The software's expansive capabilities allowed the team to work with expediency across all of their PCB design projects, enabling them to start new projects almost instantaneously without having to fuss with configuring outputs or repeating work from other designs.

• The use of Altium Designer has brought significant operational benefits to Foresight Sports. The software's expansive capabilities have allowed the team to work with expediency across all of their PCB design projects. The team has been able to set up templates and other files so that starting a new project is almost instantaneous, eliminating the need to fuss with configuring outputs or repeating work from other designs. Furthermore, Altium Designer's library management capabilities have made it easy to access part data, saving time on library creation. The precision and expediency afforded by Altium Designer have enabled Foresight Sports to expand their audience to include sporting goods stores, who use their tools to help customers find the perfect clubs to improve their results on the green.