Researchers develop game-changing baseball technology

University of Waterloo researchers have developed new artificial intelligence (AI) technology that can accurately analyze pitcher performance and mechanics using low-resolution video of baseball games.

The system, developed for the Baltimore Orioles by the Waterloo team, plugs holes in much more elaborate and expensive technology already installed in most stadiums that host Major League Baseball (MLB), whose teams have increasingly tapped into data analytics in recent years. 

“The Orioles approached us with a problem because they weren’t able to analyze pose positions and, subsequently, the biomechanics of their pitchers at games that may not have access to high-resolution cameras,” said Dr. John Zelek, a professor of systems design engineering and co-director of the Vision and Image Processing (VIP) Lab at Waterloo. 

“The goal of our project was to try to duplicate Hawk-Eye technology and go beyond it by producing similar output from broadcast video or a smartphone camera used by a scout sitting somewhere in the stands.” 

Read the full story, PitcherNet helps researchers throw strikes with AI analysis in Waterloo News.

View additional coverage of this research:

• University of Waterloo, Orioles partner on AI project to track pitcher biomechanics (The Globe and Mail)

• University of Waterloo researchers develop AI technology for Baltimore Orioles (Global News)

• Making a pitch to change the game: Waterloo tech to analyze baseball pitcher’s performance with smartphone (CTV News)

• The Baltimore Orioles wanted to pitch better, so they asked the University of Waterloo for help (CBC News)

• The Baltimore Orioles are developing a game-changing baseball technology. A Canadian university is behind it (Toronto Star)

• University of Waterloo, Orioles partner on AI project to track pitcher biomechanics (The Canadian Press)

• Orioles developing form of AI technology that could change scouting forever (The Baltimore Sun)