Ever wondered how it is to play golf with a robot?
RoboPutt: Rise of the golfing machines?
What if robots ruled the world of golf?
A fanciful notion perhaps, but already many tasks formerly performed by humans are now carried out by mechanical devices.
And the same maxim is very much in evidence in golf, where products such as balls and clubs only reach the marketplace after being tested to perfection using robotic technology.
One developer has mooted the possibility of metal caddies and robot suits to help with coaching, in a sport where human error on the course is cruelly exposed.
An industry leader in this field is California-based Golf Laboratories Inc., whose founder Gene Parente saw a gap in the market when he started his company in 1990 — and is now hoping to invent a fully robotic player.
‘Iron Byron’ led the way
Two decades ago, cutting-edge technology centered around a robotic-armed machine nicknamed “The Iron Byron” (after legendary U.S. golfer Byron Nelson).
This technology has been in the works, and you may soon be playing with a robotic golf player. With these several companies researching about robots that can play golf, I can imagine myself having a robotic caddy in the immediate future.
There actually is a product already called RoboPutt. The product was introduced at the 2011 PGA Show in Orlando, FL. You can find out more about it at http://www.roboputt.com.