Sporting goods manufacturer Wilson presents a new type of basketball that never needs to be inflated. After the test phase, the playing feel should not be distinguishable from conventional air balls.
Never needs to be pumped up and never breaks: Wilson presents a 3D-printed basketball. (Source: Screenshot YouTube)
- This basketball was manufactured using a complex 3D printing process.
- Manufacturer Wilson’s goal is to create a ball that never needs to be pumped up again because it never loses air.
- The first tests are promising, but the novelty is not yet ready for series production.
Technology can fundamentally change the development of sports equipment. This strange-looking tennis racket designed by an artificial intelligence recently caused a stir. And some of the frames of e-bikes and bicycles are already tumbling out of 3D printers. Sporting goods manufacturer Wilson now wants to revolutionize basketball together with the 3D printing company EOS.
The new type of ball was presented to the public as part of the AT&T Slam Dunk Contest (February 18) and NBA player KJ Martin was able to put his hands on the unusual game device. For outsiders, there is hardly any difference in the bounce of the ball compared to conventional NBA balls.
But Wilson says there’s still a long way to go before the 3D-printed basketball is officially ready for use. The approach and manufacturing process chosen by the manufacturer is also interesting.
Over a hundred hexagonal recesses, laser cut, give the ball the stability and properties needed for this type of play equipment. During development, the focus was on professional basketball players. Because only if they accept this new ball and don’t notice any differences to known balls does the airless ball have a chance of being ready for series production. Wilson now wants to continue working on that.
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