Measurement and detections devices are utilized to determine the parameters of a pitched object as it passes through a target area. In baseball, for example, such devices can be useful to determine the precise speed of the baseball as it passes by home plate, or to detect whether the baseball falls within a particular strike zone, resulting in either a “strike” or “ball” call. Such parameters can be particularly useful as a training aid to improve the pitching performance in real-time, providing the pitcher with instant feedback on the precise speed and location of the thrown object.
To determine the speed and location of the thrown object, many conventional systems employ several cameras, light beams, sensors, or other detector elements in an array to define a target area (e.g. a strike zone) within one or more planes. Such designs, while useful in measuring parameters such as velocity or position, often require numerous detection devices to measure the object, adding to the complexity and cost of the device. Many such designs are also reliant on a fixed support means such as a frame or arch to detect and/or measure the parameter(s) of the object, with no accompanying means for calibrating the detector elements. After repeated use, the frame or arch may become misaligned, resulting in aberrant readings from the attached detector elements. As a result, the device may produce an incorrect reading of the velocity or position of the object. It is therefore desirable to have a simplified device capable of determining the velocity and location of a thrown object with means to calibrate the device during use.