BATFAST SIMULATOR HITS SPORTS FANS FOR SIX

“Re-engineering how sports are played and experienced” is the goal for a Nottinghambased business that has developed an AIdriven simulator.

Sports technology business BatFast has created an automated ball-throwing machine initially created for cricket but which now also serves tennis, baseball and lacrosse.

Located in training facilities and entertainment venues, the simulator provides an AR experience for users that is customised to suit their playing style.

Marketing director Chris Perkins says: “The idea is to bring exhilarating sports experiences for both beginners and elite sportspeople into new urban spaces, whether they want to compete, socialise or just play for fun.

“We’re trying to re-engineer sports by removing barriers to participation, such as poor weather or a lack of time and money.”

BatFast, which has delivered 16 million balls to 410,000 players since it was founded in 2016, is the brainchild of childhood friends from Kenya, ex-professional cricketer Runish Gudkha, who is CEO, and CTO Jignesh Patel. Its 25-strong workforce comprises data analysts, engineers and product designers, including experts from the world of machine vision and artificial intelligence, who are developing the next generation of immersive AR experiences.

Four patents have been granted and, on top of landing the Excellence in Innovation award at the Chamber’s Nottinghamshire Business Awards last year, it won the Best Technology for Fitness and Participation at the global Sports Technology Awards. It is once again shortlisted this year alongside Apple Fitness+.

The business is headquartered at Colwick Quays Business Park, where it has one of its training facilities. There is another in Doncaster but it is also moving into the entertainment and hospitality sectors – where it can offer value to the emerging “competitive socialising”

Batfast’s market via arcades, bars, holiday parks and bowling alleys – and even into people’s homes.

BatFast took a simulator to fan parks at the 2021/22 Ashes test in Australia. Its AI system was able to replicate a Shane Warne bowl for players.

Going forward, it is forging links with national cricket associations and the ICC world governing body, as well as Major League Baseball in the US, where it has opened a San Francisco office.

In the simulator, a player stands in a cage facing a screen that projects a bowler coming towards them, and then the ball is physically delivered for them to hit.

Chris adds: “We use an AI-driven programme to make the simulator smart in how it pitches the delivery to the player’s needs. We’ve recently introduced cameras to provide replays of shots and we’re now trying to implement ball-tracking technology so they can see the direction, angle and pace of the shot, and where it would land in the field.

“The longer-term picture for the business is around how we can use the tens of millions of data points we collect, so we can learn from this and use it to further develop our products.”

The data highlighted a coffee machine being switched on and heating water overnight without needing to, while it also helped to detect a water leak that would otherwise not have been identified.

Another client, Chesterfield-based hot tub manufacturer Superior Wellness, was receiving higher-than-expected electricity bills when it moved into a new site in 2021, posing potential financial risks for a company with significant growth plans.