Technology Whitepaper

ADVANCED
Competitive Analysis
and Positioning
Golf Launchpad Tour™ is the sequel to Electric~Spin’s award winning golf
simulator family, Golf Launchpad Classic. With powerful new features, enhanced
performance, a great new look and a convenient, wireless Remote Caddy™, Golf
Launchpad Tour dramatically raises the bar in golf simulation by introducing a
simulator that offers unmatched realism and entertainment with more courses,
games and platforms than any other golf system.
Comparing Golf Launchpad to $50,000+ simulators, Robb Report Magazine stated
that Golf Launchpad offers “a unique level of realism.”
Platform highlights
Golf•Launchpad’s patented TruFeel™ technology incorporates a regulation Surlyn™ ball
attached to a double ball-bearing mounted flexible tether
to accurately reproduce the physics of free-ball impact,
with complete convenience and safety.
With the user’s swing thus completely unaltered by any
unnatural dynamics, Launchpad Tour’s optical sensors
read and process the club’s trajectory tens of thousands of
times per second, before and after impact, to accurately
render each shot on the screen — from driving to putting.
Golf Launchpad’s Micro Capture Net deploys like an
airbag to bring the ball to rest safely even before the the club comes to rest, so the only shot
Golf Launchpad Tour Whitepaper, (v 1.3)
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ADVANCED
the the user hears is the sound of the club striking the ball—without any other distracting
noises.
Launchpad’s advanced sensors don’t need special clubs, reflective
tape, fancy lighting or other fluff! They can read clubs in total
darkness to full sunlight—golfing on the patio has never been more
fun! Total convenience, without compromise!
The result: hear and feel the
ping of your woods, the
thwack of your irons, the click of your putter and
experience unmatched, lifelike golf in the comfort of
your living room or backyard on the world’s greatest
courses. Bring the game home!
Design features
The Golf Launchpad™ system is protected by US Patent 29/229584 (others pending).
Proprietary materials and forming technology and processes cover the construction of the
polymer base and the tethered golf ball arrangement.
•
•
Golf Launchpad’s high-speed
optical sensors in a diamond grid
configuration read the
club’s trajectory before
and after impact to
ascertain club-head speed,
trajectory and rotation, the energy
transferred to the ball and the
imparted sidespin.
Golf Launchpad Tour features a
unique USB interface that
presents HID data along
with Electric~Spin’s
RealPhysics™ USB endpoint, thus enabling game developers to precisely render
trajectory, flight and roll.
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Golf Launchpad features a tethered Surlyn™ ball in a dynamic, inertia-matched
suspension system, so the sound and feel of the club-ball impact are identical to what
happens on the course.
The suspension system permits the ball to rotate (spin) and take on a wide range of
spin and axes so the full range of golf shots—from driving to putting—feel right.
Golf Launchpad’s Micro-capture Net deploys like an airbag (but soundlessly) so that
the sound of the club-ball impact is not masked by any other noises.
The tethered ball system is safe and convenient and allows use in minimal space.
The turf and the proprietary formulation of the shock and sound-absorbent crosslinked polymer base provides authentic iron play.
All components that experience wear are user replaceable without tools. The base unit
which includes the electronics is designed for a lifetime of play.
With its low centre of gravity, Golf Launchpad is exceptionally stable.
Golf Launchpad is compatible with the widest number of platforms and titles,
offering the widest selection of golf courses to play on!
play Pebble in your pj’s
Best simu
lator for
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the mone
y
SOJOH"N
FSJDB
now this is real simulation!
(BNJOH*MMVTUSBUFE
Launchpad is terrific
/FX:PSL5JNFT
I tested the Laun
chpad and it was
amazing
&YUSFNF5FDI
Golf Launchpad Tour Whitepaper, (v 1.3)
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ADVANCED
Competitive analysis
Golf Launchpad occupies a unique position in the space of golf simulation and entertainment.
Launchpad’s competitors are either positioned at the commercial/professional end, with high
cost and custom installation requirements, or at the low end where they offer little or no
realism and value.
Golf Launchpad offers a uniquely high-end golf experience in an affordable and accessible
format.
Commercial simulators: (Full Swing, Vector, Dead Solid; price-range: $1,500 – 55,000):
• High cost of ownership (purchase, installation, maintenance)
• Low accessibility (very large homes, custom installations)
• Limited or no gameplay, no on-line play
• Small course selection, no 3D graphics
• Limited or no short game
• Ball strikes screen with loud impact sound, drowning out shot sound
• Inconvenient (need to retrieve balls, no simultaneous left-/right-hand use)
Low-end golf simulation/training/play:
• Low realism
• Poor construction
• Limited gameplay
Golf Launchpad Tour™:
• Widest software range and platforms — best graphics, hundreds of courses playable,
online/network play
• Very high realism
• Exceptional convenience — small footprint, portable, full range of play
• Indoor and outdoor play
• High-quality build and construction, excellent durability
• Highest value-for-money
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Competitive grid
Product
Manufacturer
Retail Price
Compact
Full game
Multiplatform
Game Titles
PC, Mac, PS3,
XTV
PS2, Xbox
Tiger, Links, Hot
Shots
proprietary
Golf Launchpad Tour
Electric~Spin
$199 - $249
X
X
Mad Catz Golf
Mad Catz
$69.99
X
X
Xavix Golf
Xavix
$99.99
-
-
Xavix
proprietary
Qmotions*
Club Champ*
$129-$249
X
X
PC, Xbox
Tiger
Shot Analyser II
Miya
$349.99
-
-
-
-
DancinDogg
Dancindogg Golf
$289.99-419.99
-
-
PC
Tiger
proprietary
P3Pro
P3Pro Systems
$899-$5000
-
X
PC
Vector
Accusport
$4,200
-
X
PC
-
IST Golf
IST
$40,000
-
X
PC
proprietary
Full Swing Golf
Full Swing
$50,000
-
X
PC
proprietary
Dead Solid Golf
Dead Solid Golf
$15,000-50,000
-
X
PC
proprietary
Product
Wireless remote
Swing Analysis
Golf Launchpad Tour
X
X
Mad Catz Golf
Xavix Golf
Qmotions*
Shot Analyser II
DancinDogg
P3Pro
Vector
IST Golf
Full Swing Golf
Dead Solid Golf
-
X
X
X
X
X
Realism*
Comment
Multiplatform, analysis, compact, real
BGSCALUW
ball, left/right handed play
U
No club or ball
L
Poor realism, gameplay
CLU
Low build quality, poor gameplay
Full swing analysis only, LCD readout
GSCA
Big box format, small hitting pad
GSCA
Big box format
FA
Full swing training only
CAS
Big box, proprietary software
CS
Big box, proprietary software
CAS
Big box, proprietary software
B=indoor play with real ball G=full game-play with own clubs, W=wireless remote,
S=swing analysis, C=large selection of real courses, A=accurate sensors and signal
processing, L=compact, U=simultaneous left/right-handed play
*Marketed under the brands PC Tour, Club Champ and Swing Groover/PC.
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