PoolLiveAid Helps Terrible Pool Players

pool aid

Do your Billiards skills need a little work? Not anymore! Thanks to a project called “PoolLiveAid” by Luis Sousa, Ricardo Alves, and J.M.F Rodrigues of University of the Algarve, Portugal, you can improve your pool game–instantly.

The software works as an “on-the-fly game processing” system to help even the most unskilled players. By using a ceiling-mounted camera, the software is able to recognize the borders of the table, the location of the cue ball and the angle of the pool cue. Instantly, PoolLiveAid shows an interactive projection of the ball’s path on the table. These projections adjust and change with every movement of the ball and cue.

The software ultimately helps players visualize the geometry and physics of each individual shot. The system isn’t perfect, however. Projecting complex, “trick” shots or accidental mistakes (such as hitting the ball too close to the table and making it airborne) are still obstacles to be overcome. As of early this year, the software is in beta testing, but is tentatively scheduled to be available commercially sometime next year.  Check out PoolLiveAid in action below!

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