Posts Tagged: Zone

Major League Baseball wants to deploy strike zone robo-umpires in 2024

Major League Baseball will "likely" introduce an Automated Strike Zone System starting in 2024, commissioner Rob Manfred told ESPN. The so-called robot umpires may call all balls and strikes then relay the information to a plate umpire, or be part of a replay review system that allows managers to challenge calls. "We have an automated strike zone system that works," Manfred said. 

The comments come in the wake of fan outrage over umpire's missed calls in recent games, including a brutal low strike error during a Detroit Tigers and Minnesota Twins tilt. "Enough is enough. Give me robo umps already," tweeted Grand Rapids ABC sports director Jamal Spencer. 

MLB has been experimenting with robo umps in minor league Atlantic Triple-A league since 2019. It uses a doppler radar system developed by TrackMan, best known for its golf speed measurement devices. The system works thusly, according to CBS: "Pitch gets thrown, TrackMan tracks and identifies the pitch's location, phone tells umpire whether it's a ball or strike, umpire physically makes the call behind the plate." 

In fairness to umpires, calling balls and strikes with 100 MPH fastballs and hard-breaking curveballs caught outside the zone is no easy feat. But that's exactly why fans, pundits and the league itself thinks that machines should take the job, leaving the plate umpire to judge tags and other more subjective plays. Mechanical systems also made Atlantic league games mercifully shorter by a full nine minutes, according to MLB data. 

Under baseball's new collective bargaining agreement, the league has the right to change rules unilaterally, provided it gives the union a season's notice. Manfred already said that such a system wouldn't be brought in next year, as the new competition committee won't have its first meeting until 2023. Once it does meet, though, the committee is very likely to approve the changes since it's dominated by ownership, according to ESPN

Engadget is a web magazine with obsessive daily coverage of everything new in gadgets and consumer electronics

‘Zenless Zone Zero’ is a new action RPG from the studio behind ‘Genshin Impact’

Genshin Impact developer Hoyoverse is working on a new project. On Friday, the studio shared the first trailer for Zenless Zone Zero, an action RPG set in a modern urban setting. Reminiscent of titles like The World Ends With You and Scarlett Nexus, the game pits players against Ethereal, monstrous creatures borne from another dimension. In a nod to Neon Genesis Evangelion, the action takes place in New Eridu, one of the few cities to survive the devastation wrought by the Ethereal.

As a “Proxy,” you’ll need to organize a disparate party of characters to battle the monsters. Hoyoverse hasn’t explicitly said how it plans to monetize Zenless Zone Zero, but it sounds like the game will employ a similar system to the one found in Genshin Impact. In other words, expect to use real-world money to improve your chances at obtaining some of the game’s most powerful party members. Zenless Zone Zero does not have a release date yet, but you can sign up to take part in the game’s closed iOS and PC beta by visiting its official website.


Engadget is a web magazine with obsessive daily coverage of everything new in gadgets and consumer electronics

Chernobyl nuclear exclusion zone could become the world’s largest solar farm

Canadian energy companies, U.S. investment firms, and Ukraine government negotiating to build a 1GWh solar plant at the site of the 1986 Chernobyl meltdown, which today would be the world’s largest.

The post Chernobyl nuclear exclusion zone could become the world’s largest solar farm appeared first on Digital Trends.

Cool Tech–Digital Trends

Catch a wave, not too much sun, with the Glassy Zone fitness band made for surfers

The Glassy Zone is a fitness band designed for surfers, providing specialized tracking for when you’re out on the waves, plus it has a UV sensor to ensure you don’t catch too much sun. It has launched on Indiegogo for $ 100.

The post Catch a wave, not too much sun, with the Glassy Zone fitness band made for surfers appeared first on Digital Trends.

Wearables»Digital Trends