Predicting Soccer Ball Target through Dynamic Simulation

The intelligent sports analysis of a soccer ball requires accurately simulating its motion and finding the best design parameters (position and orientation) to kick the ball.  An optimization method is proposed to plan, evaluate, and optimize the traveling trajectory of a soccer ball. The theoretical studies go through the multi-body dynamics modeling, dynamic simulation, and optimal objective modeling Based on Newton second law and Hooke’s law, the motion of a soccer ball is established as the time-dependent ordinary differential equations (ODEs). The expected target is expressed as a function of all design parameters. An example is used to simulate a soccer ball shooting a goal. The result of optimization design has given the most optimal combination of the design parameters, which involve theinitial velocity,initial projectile angle, andinitial orientation angle. This research provides a useful method in predicting the trajectory and adjusting the design parameters for the optimization design of a soccer ball motion.