Faculty of Science and Engineering, Manchester Metropolitan University, Manchester, United Kingdom.
Athéna, Lacamp, Roquedur, France.
PLoS One. 2024 Sep 12;19(9):e0310155. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0310155. eCollection 2024.
Statistical shape analysis, or morphometrics, is a technique commonly used in evolutionary biology to summarise a population of samples. Theoretical morphometrics extends the current population of samples into a theoretical space. Using the lawn tennis racket as an example, this paper showcases the potential of morphometrics as a tool for inspiring design concepts for novel sporting goods. It showcases how morphometrics can be applied to summarise the shape of a sample of rackets and applies theoretical morphometrics to systematically present new candidate designs that fall outside of the inputted existing, racket population. The input population was 514 tennis rackets dating back to the origins of the game. The shape analysis was performed on "front-on" silhouette images of the rackets using the R Package Momocs. The outline shape of each racket was reconstructed using the elliptical Fourier transform curve fitting technique. A principal component analysis performed on the reconstructed outlines showed that >90% of the variance in the shape of the rackets was captured by the first two principal components. An evenly spaced grid of theoretical racket shape outlines was then created in a principal component 2 vs. principal component 1 "morphospace". The limits of this space were then expanded to give a theoretical morphospace that extended beyond the range of the first two principal components for the 514 samples. We propose that the shapes located within such a theoretical morphospace could inspire designers and help them to systematically identify candidates for novel products. Specifically, we suggest that experimenting with wide-angled throats and heads with angled sides might be an interesting starting point for exploring future tennis racket design concepts. The novel technique presented here could be used by a sporting goods brand during the ideation phase of product development to schematically summarise current designs and identify candidates for new ones.
统计形状分析，或形态测量学，是进化生物学中常用的一种技术，用于总结样本群体。理论形态测量学将当前的样本群体扩展到理论空间中。本文以网球拍为例，展示了形态测量学作为一种工具的潜力，可用于激发新颖运动器材的设计理念。它展示了如何应用形态测量学来总结球拍样本的形状，并应用理论形态测量学系统地呈现新的候选设计，这些设计超出了输入的现有球拍群体。输入的群体是 514 个追溯到网球运动起源的网球拍。使用 R 包 Momocs 对球拍的“正面”轮廓图像进行形状分析。使用椭圆傅里叶变换曲线拟合技术对每个球拍的轮廓形状进行重建。对重建轮廓进行的主成分分析表明，球拍形状的 90%以上的方差由前两个主成分捕获。然后在主成分 2 与主成分 1 的“形态空间”中创建理论球拍形状轮廓的等距网格。然后扩展该空间的限制，以给出一个理论形态空间，该空间扩展到前两个主成分的范围之外，用于 514 个样本。我们提出，位于这样的理论形态空间内的形状可以激发设计师的灵感，并帮助他们系统地确定新颖产品的候选者。具体来说，我们建议尝试宽角度的拍喉和带有角度侧面的拍头可能是探索未来网球拍设计概念的一个有趣起点。这里提出的新颖技术可以被运动器材品牌在产品开发的创意阶段使用，以示意性地总结当前设计并确定新的候选设计。
