NiceMeetVR: Facing professional baseball pitchers in the virtual batting cage

Abstract

In this paper, we introduce a new virtual baseball batting training system called NICEMEET VR, which enable batters to face a variety of baseball pitchers. The pitching motions are obtained using the video-based motion capture system called KROPS, which enable users to capture the 3D human motion from a single view video sequences. The batter holds a bat with a reflector attached to the sweet spot, and stands in front of the screen where the pitching motions are projected. No real baseball is actually thrown. Instead, a 3D virtual ball is rendered over the screen. The batter swings the bat toward the ball when it reaches the homebase. The trajectory of the swung bat is analyzed using dual supply photoelectric sensors behind the screen, that cast and also detect the infra red beam reflected by the bat. Using our system, the player can practice batting against any pitcher, such as top professional major league pitchers, or famous pitchers in the past by capturing their motion from videos.