A New Device for Measuring Putting Green Characteristics.

Golf course managers manage putting greens to acheive a desired speed, smoothness, and putting trueness.  Except for putting green speed, however, few tools are available for putting green smoothness and trueness.  Utilizing Sphero, a robotic sphere controlled by smart devices, we developed data capturing and analysis software to collect information as Sphero rolls across a surface.  Our software - Sphero Turfgrass Research - captures data at 42 hz with measurement taken in Y-direction (forward and reverse), X-direction (lateral), and Z-direction (vertical).  Velocity and acceleration measurements are taken in the X and Y direction and acceleration is taken in the Z direction.  Other combined directional measurement (e.g., XY Velocity) are also quantified.  Gyroscopic measurements are also collected: roll, pitch, and yaw.  To date we have correlated Y-speed average and pitch average with stimp distance.  Sphero putting green speed variables can be taken on a variety of slopes and not restricted to flat surfaces like the stimp meter.  In our opinion X-acceleration range and X-velocity range are correlated with putting trueness and Z-acceleration range is correlated with putting green smoothness.  However, the inability to correlate Sphero measurements with long-standing historical measuring devices similar to a stimp meter prevents us from correlating our trueness and smoothness measurements with industry standards.  Lastly, it is recommended that data be collected via standard settings of 8 laps, at 30% speed, and rolling for 3 seconds.  Changing from standard settings will yield incomparable data.