“Using 3D Printing Technology, a Company Develops a See-Through Basketball” – Watch the Video on The Seventh Day

Posted by Khaled Ibrahim

Friday, March 17, 2023 11:00 AM

Sports equipment giant Wilson recently unveiled a prototype 3D-printed basketball that does not need to be inflated and features a transparent net design. basketball A long way has come from the early days of the sport when real stitched leather was used as the main material, but Wilson is trying to completely change the game with an intriguing concept that completely gets rid of pneumatic pressure, instead adopting a model Wilson Airless The first builds on the elasticity of the polymer material to produce the same bounce as traditional basketballs.

No need to inflate the ball

This eliminates the need to inflate the ball to a certain pressure, as well as known issues such as puncture hazards, and air leakage through the inflation valve over long periods of time.

One of the most interesting features of the airless basketball is the grid design. Although Wilson has retained the traditional lacing pattern of regular basketball, ensuring that players can still place their fingers in the seam lines for better grip, the The first model has a very futuristic appearance, since containing air pressure inside is no longer required, the ball itself can be seen, with hundreds of small hexagonal holes that allow air to pass through, according to what was published by the odditycentral website.

The first model is without ventilation

By working with the manufacturing company EOSWilson reportedly printed its prototype fanless using a selective laser sintering method (SLS) for additive manufacturing to incorporate several layers of polymer powder. The main concern was the repeat bounce of a traditional basketball, which was no small feat, considering there was no internal air pressure to generate the bounce.

A model has been detected Wilson Airless Prototype Last month, during NBA weekend, when the Houston Rockets forward was photographedKJMartin plays with it and throws it in the basket. The edited video makes it look like a perfectly good alternative to a regular basketball, but the company acknowledges that it is still a prototype that requires more testing.

And there are already some unanswered questions about this interesting invention, for example, we don’t really know what the grip looks like, due to the new polymer-based material and its lattice design, and how the air passing through it affects the trajectory or whether it is better than the ball. normal, or how it interacts with rotation.

The only thing these hexagonal holes won’t let you do is spin the basketball with your fingertips. And speaking of those holes, what if something, like a pebble, got inside the ball? Do you bounce while playing? Which means those interested will have to wait until Wilson finally releases the airless basketball commercially.