Golf in the future - autonomous carts

[nevets88]

Reading about slow play, got to thinking, with rfid in balls and advancements in autonomous driving technology, someone could develop an algorithm, hook it up into carts/smartphones and use it to speed up play. Using smartphones, touchscreens in carts, rfid, gps, enough wifi stations (or via cell towers), with carts doing the driving and telling golfers what to do - take these irons, play your shot, I'll drive your partner to his ball, meet the cart up at the green, that sort of thing - you could put a pretty big dent in long rounds, provided humans listen to the directives, a big if. Plus no more drunkards destroying carts. Thoughts? If this was a thing at the PGA show, I haven't been paying attention to the show. Very pie in the sky and very much in the future but possible. It's almost a win-win, non zero sum game for everyone. Golfers can concentrate on their game or socialize more, rounds are faster, courses make more money, etc...

[Rainmaker]

That's a really cool idea . . .I'd sell it like a "cart caddy" or "robo caddy" . .perhaps you could choose the gender and accent, lol.  

We used to play this "game" when we were drinking in college called "impossible invention".  The idea being you had to come up something amazing, something that *could* theoretically be done . .but the more pie in the sky the better.  This would've been a pretty good one.  

I can see this as being reality in 20, 30, 50 years, etc.  We could do it now - would just cost $$$$$$$$.

[phillyk]

There's a few issues I can think of like how it drives and safety.  The cart will have to be able to discern course conditions, obstacles, where a person's golf ball ended up, etc.  And the cart will have to be able to know when the people are in the cart and ready to move or if there's someone trying to grab a club and the thing drives off.  The only way right now are tickers saying speed up and the course pro will do the rest if the group doesn't.

They have developed technology to remotely control carts from the pro shop if deemed necessary, like if they went too close to a green or something.  But still some safety concerns can come from that too.

[Rainmaker]

1 minute ago, phillyk said:

There's a few issues I can think of like how it drives and safety.  The cart will have to be able to discern course conditions, obstacles, where a person's golf ball ended up, etc.  And the cart will have to be able to know when the people are in the cart and ready to move or if there's someone trying to grab a club and the thing drives off.  The only way right now are tickers saying speed up and the course pro will do the rest if the group doesn't.

They have developed technology to remotely control carts from the pro shop if deemed necessary, like if they went too close to a green or something.  But still some safety concerns can come from that too.

All this is easily addressed with massive amounts of money.  We have the technology to make a self driving vehicle that is aware of obstacles and conditions.  We have technology to track golf shots (albeit maybe not from a distance).  This thing could track all kinds of data on your shots, measure the wind, etc . .and by the 3rd hole it'd be making some pretty good suggestions based on your real game that day.  

Think along the lines of Kit in golf car form with a trackman on the roof and an amazing topo gps nav system . .some weather sensors.  This is very do-able.  

[nevets88]

There are already autonomous golf carts in Japan (or was it Korea), or semi autonomous. I'd google it if I had more time. The thing with doing it on a golf course is you know the route. You don't have to plan for as many contingencies as for an autonomous car in the wild. I would think that vastly simplifies it. And if I thought of this now, I'm sure hundreds if not thousands have already thought of it years ago, I'm just writing it out on a discussion board.

[bkuehn1952]

3 hours ago, nevets88 said:

...provided humans listen to the directives, a big if. 

Ha ha ha - spot on.  

"Sir, take your 8 iron, depart the cart and play your shot"

"No, give me the pitching wedge."

"Sir, your Game Golf stats suggest an 8 iron"

"Pitching wedge!!"

Then watch the cart take off without the player

[cipher]

30 minutes ago, phillyk said:

There's a few issues I can think of like how it drives and safety.  The cart will have to be able to discern course conditions, obstacles, where a person's golf ball ended up, etc.  And the cart will have to be able to know when the people are in the cart and ready to move or if there's someone trying to grab a club and the thing drives off.  

I have been studying the connected car for a few years now because it will change my industry in a huge way over the next 15-20 years.  The tech you are talking about is essentially already available for all the things you list.  I think the biggest issue I see is making it practical especially when it comes to convincing courses to spend the money on it.  

 

[nevets88]

The other downside is I would think walkers might put a dent into the flow, but I'd think a club that instituted this would make an autonomous carts only policy. But I guess the system could include walkers, the walker would have to agree to use and listen to the app provided by the club.

Which leads me to wonder, why not a system that works for all the cases - carts only/carts and walkers/walkers only?

If rfid balls were doable, you could make a slow play mitigation system running on smartphones right now.

[Rainmaker]

11 minutes ago, nevets88 said:

The other downside is I would think walkers might put a dent into the flow, but I'd think a club that instituted this would make an autonomous carts only policy. But I guess the system could include walkers, the walker would have to agree to use and listen to the app provided by the club.

Which leads me to wonder, why not a system that works for all the cases - carts only/carts and walkers/walkers only?

If rfid balls were doable, you could make a slow play mitigation system running on smartphones right now.

Curious . .if you had an rfid ball and used it so that you never lost the ball . . . that would be legal, right?  Basically the same as spectators pointing it out or the marshal putting a flag on it on tour . . .assuming the rfid didn't mess with the ball's performance, I think that would be awesome . .in and of itself!

 

Shoulda googled it . .it's in violation of rule 14-3

http://www.usga.org/rules/rules-and-decisions.html#!rule-14

 

They should change that!  If Bubba Watson can have a flag stuck near his ball in the deep rough . .why shouldn't I?  Maybe they'll soften on it in time.     

 

Edited January 31, 2017 by Rainmaker

[JonMA1]

2 hours ago, nevets88 said:

Which leads me to wonder, why not a system that works for all the cases - carts only/carts and walkers/walkers only?

I think everyone should be fitted with shock collars and GPS chips so that the clubhouse can monitor the pace of play for the entire course.

Spend more than 5 minutes in the woods and your entire group would get a warning beep. After 6, everyone gets zapped. Same with driving your cart too close to the green, lallygagging on the tee box, or taking too many practice swings on the fairway if no one is holding you up.

After so many rounds without any warnings, you'd earn the right to play without a collar.

Just kidding....

...or am I?

[phillyk]

3 hours ago, cipher said:

I have been studying the connected car for a few years now because it will change my industry in a huge way over the next 15-20 years.  The tech you are talking about is essentially already available for all the things you list.  I think the biggest issue I see is making it practical especially when it comes to convincing courses to spend the money on it.  

 

I'm thinking about random terrain changes like stumps, rocks, pumping lines that leave little dents in the fairway that could knock the cart off balance. Can this tech avoid/adjust/go over with ease?  I just imagine it sensing the stump then having to adjust for 2 minutes to go around it.

What we really should do is get drones with seats to carry you around.  That would be fun!

[jamo]

I dunno. Is the goal of golf to enjoy a few hours out on a golf course or to shuttle yourself from point A to point Z in the fastest time possible?

I'm all for encouraging quick and efficient play, but at a point you're just being shuttled along a conveyor belt. 

Maybe I'm just being luddite-ish.

[Lihu]

22 minutes ago, phillyk said:

I'm thinking about random terrain changes like stumps, rocks, pumping lines that leave little dents in the fairway that could knock the cart off balance. Can this tech avoid/adjust/go over with ease?  I just imagine it sensing the stump then having to adjust for 2 minutes to go around it.

What we really should do is get drones with seats to carry you around.  That would be fun!

I have no doubt that current navigation technology could handle the variation in terrain, whether it would be a comfortable ride for the passengers is another thing.

[phillyk]

12 minutes ago, jamo said:

I dunno. Is the goal of golf to enjoy a few hours out on a golf course or to shuttle yourself from point A to point Z in the fastest time possible?

I'm all for encouraging quick and efficient play, but at a point you're just being shuttled along a conveyor belt. 

Maybe I'm just being luddite-ish.

Everybody has their own goals on the course.  Some want to get a quick 18, others a long 18.  There's no easy way for both to get what they want on a busy-ish course.

The other side is what the course wants, and most of us want quicker rounds to get the most people on the course as possible.  So ultimately it is down to getting them around the course faster.  Not to where you're sweating to just get to the ball, but just a bit faster.  So, any tech that can help that minute or more per hole disappear will be nice.

[DeadMan]

I'm not sure I'd go for autonomous carts, but I think you could program the GPS carts to give more reminders to speed up play. For example, if the cart stopped around the green, a little ding and a message to make sure you park the cart in a good spot and bring all the clubs you need. When you stop after teeing off, a reminder to go drive to the other person's ball. I think little prompts like these would help speed up play immensely. 

[Buckeyebowman]

It doesn't even have to be that complex. All the system would have to see is a foursome (2 carts) holding up another foursome, or threesome, or twosome. At some point the system would simply "shut off" their carts, and flash the message, "YOU ARE HOLDING UP PLAY! YOU WILL ALLOW THE FOLLOWING GROUP TO PLAY THROUGH."

It wouldn't matter how much you stomped on the accelerator, your cart simply would not work! What are these guys going to do? Throw their bags on their backs and walk?

[Hacker James]

two movies come to mind.  Judge Dred (Sly Stallone) and Jurassic Park.

[Piz]

I'd be willing to give it a go; but as soon as the cart said "I'm sorry, Dave..."  I'm hoofing it.