![]() ![]() For other magazine stories, go here.In the Medical and Health and Fitness sections of Apple's app store, the company often creates curated lists around particular health or wellness areas. This story appears in the summer edition of CNET Magazine. But considering that a premium match ball, such as the Adidas Brazuca, costs anywhere from $100 to $160, paying an extra $40 for a ball with brains isn't such a huge leap. The MiCoach Smart Ball costs $200, which is pricey for a practice ball. ![]() ![]() Pricey but a unique training tool for the soccer enthusiast And while it is possible to patch leaks in some soccer balls, the construction of the MiCoach ball's cover and bladder, along with the size of the hole needed to remove the assembly, makes replacing internal hardware impractical. Brain surgery isn't practical: I couldn't remove or replace the entire processor, sensor, battery and charging assembly without cutting the ball open and damaging the rubber bands that hold it in place.The sensor that collects all the kick data is a multi-axis MEMS eCompass module (3D accelerometer and 3D magnetometer) from STMicroelectronics, and a Nordic Semiconductor Bluetooth chip connects the ball to your mobile device. Soldered to the board are a Texas Instruments 16-bit RISC microcontroller that can operate at a clock speed of 25MHz and has 128KB of non-volatile memory and 10KB of SRAM. Inside sits a single circuit board and battery. The ball within a ball: The brain of the MiCoach ball is a second 1.5-inch diameter sphere suspended directly in the center of the ball.The slightly textured PU (polyurethane) cover is made of 32 thermally bonded panels. A well-made ball: I'm not an expert on soccer ball construction, but every hands-on review of the MiCoach Smart Ball I've watched or read gave it high marks for quality.The whole teardown process took about 30 minutes. I had to cut through the shell to access the circuit board and battery inside, but both came out of the opened shell without much fuss. Both physical snaps and glue hold the two halves of the package's hard plastic shell together. A single wire connects the circuits inside the orb to the receiver coil, which is attached to the inside of the bladder.Īfter unhooking the rubber bands and prying loose the receiver coil, I was finally able to remove the MiCoach Smart Ball's electronics package. Sitting in the center of the inner cavity is a small, white plastic sphere held in place by heavy-duty rubber bands attached to the ball's inner layers. Once I crafted an opening large enough, I could see how Adidas gave this ball its brain. I carefully avoided cutting myself or the receiver coil for the inductive charging system, which I knew was located behind the lightning bolt graphic on the bottom of the ball. I started my incision about an inch above the lightning bolt logo and removed a roughly 7-inch section. Using a very sharp knife, I carefully cut through the outer shell, inner lining and bladder of the ball. At least all the destruction was for a good cause. Unfortunately, there was no practical way to get inside the MiCoach Smart Ball without cutting it open. Whenever I crack open a gadget, I aim to do so in a way that lets me reassemble it after my teardown is complete. Cracking open the Adidas MiCoach Smart Ball Everything is packed into a standard size 5 (22cm diameter) soccer ball that weighs 445 grams (well within range for a FIFA-approved ball). To make a soccer ball smart, Adidas added a 16-bit RISC microcontroller, a multi-axis MEMS eCompass module and a Bluetooth connectivity module, all powered by a 3.7V lithium ion battery and inductive charging system. ![]()
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