Sony's Hawk-Eye Cameras Measure MLB Home Run Distances

Every Major League Baseball venue is equipped with twelve Sony Hawk-Eye cameras, all directed at the playing field. These devices monitor various aspects, such as player locations, the ball's position, and its spin. Five of these cameras focus on the infield diamond, recording data at a rate of 300 frames per second, which facilitates ABS ball-and-strike reviews, while the other seven cover the entire field. When a ball is hit into the air, several cameras track it at once, gathering slightly varying data that is sent to the cloud for further analysis. Hawk-Eye can accurately track a ball's trajectory, even at speeds of up to one hundred miles per hour. In last year's Home Run Derby, a tiebreaker was determined by a home run's distance, with a difference of less than a tenth of an inch. Calculating how far a ball would have traveled unobstructed involves complex mathematics that completes its trajectory. Due to variations in launch angle, speed, and other factors, two home runs landing in the same area may have very different distances. However, Hawk-Eye ensures that no home run distance is unfairly attributed.