Design challenge: 

Baseball bats of the future?

For our 100th newsletter on this new platform, we are going back to our roots with a new series called “design challenge”.

Concept development & design is our bread & butter, so we challenged ourselves to design baseball bats of the future.

Received this from a colleague? 🧑🏻👩🏼‍🦲👵🏽👳🏾‍♂️👧🏿

To structure our design process, we first focus on the top 5 characteristics of a bat, and examine, without constraint, what the best outcome would be for that feature:

1. Maximum power

2. Lightest weight

3. Maximum control

4. Best balance (for me)

5. Perfect fitting grip

This time we will focus on number 1 and 2.

Design Feature: Highest strength-to-weight ratio

To simplify the design process, we will concentrate on strength-to-weight ratio. Granted our experienced designers will understand that this is only a small contributing factor to enhance power, but it is an easy concept to understand.

Rather than be boring, and simply creating a standard baseball bat shape with Graphene or Carbon Fiber Reinforced Silicon Carbide Composite, for example (high strength-to-weight materials), we thought we would look to nature to inspire the design.

So what in nature is incredibly strong & lightweight?

• Spider Silk

• Bone

• Bamboo

• Eggshells

• Coral Skeletons

The last of which we are going to use today:

Why coral skeletons?

There are 5 unique functions of coral that would be ace in a baseball bat:

• Lattice Structure: Coral skeletons have a lattice-like structure, resembling a network of interconnected beams and struts. This structure provides stability and strength by distributing loads and forces across the entire colony. The lattice arrangement helps in resisting various external pressures, such as wave action and water currents. Whilst water and air are different, we can apply this principle to handle airflow in an unique design.

• Porosity: Coral skeletons are highly porous, meaning they have a lot of open spaces within their structure. This porosity reduces the overall density of the skeleton, contributing to its buoyancy. While individual coral skeletons are relatively lightweight, the collective buildup of many skeletons over time creates the massive structures of coral reefs. Porosity can easily be used to decrease, and tailor, weight whilst maintaining strength.

• Self-Repair Mechanisms: Coral colonies have the ability to actively repair and rebuild their skeletons as they grow. This ongoing process of calcification allows the colony to adapt to changing environmental conditions and repair damage caused by physical disturbance. Can we introduce self-healing materials into bats that increase durability and possible adapt to information as the batter hits balls.

THE CORALFLEX SLUGGER

What are our features of coral we are experimenting with?

• Strong lattice structure

• Irregularity to enhance strength by mitigating the chance of man-made weaknesses

• Porosity to reduce weight but maintaining strength

• Porosity to handle airflow in a controllable way

• Porosity to increase swing speed

• Self healing materials to improve durability

• Smart materials to alter pattern or shape to enhance barrel size & sweet spot - does not exist but very futuristic

Start with a hidden lattice within

Move to multi-layered lattice work

Work out the placement of the lattice work

Make a completely organic coral based lattice work design

What do you think of the Coralflex Slugger?

OTHER DESIGNS WE PLAYED WITH

Control is interesting. There are players out there who would prefer more control rather than simply slugging.

Perhaps you can impregnate a pattern to control (by adding more spin) to the baseball. Perhaps baseball bats could look to golf club technology to add more spin to the baseball?

If you would like us to create some new sports equipment concepts then drop us a line: [email protected]

Learn more about us

Thanks for your support!!!! 🙌💕

Dr Bryan & Peter

Kitradar Ltd nor its employees advocate the use of any products on this email. Please do your own research and consult a relevant professional and/or physician before consuming or using any products listed

None of the content is sponsored, we simply love the work they do and think it will spark a little bit of inspiration over your coffee break. If something is sponsored in the future we will let you know!

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