Can scientist create a satellite technology to guide a golf ball to its target?

Question

Can scientist create a satellite technology to guide a golf ball to its target? Is my idea too imaginative?

Answer 1

Wouldn't it make playing golf boring? I mean even more so...

Anyways, to make a projectile into a guided projectile you need two things: 1) a sensor and 2) and effector.

A sensor needs to figure out where you need to go. This could be a GPS receiver that tells the ball where it is and then you just need to tell it where the hole is. You can maybe use 2 or 3 radio signals too.

An effector make the ball go in the direction of the target. Missiles and bombs use fins but you can't have those on the ball. Maybe you can have tiny rockets or little drag sails that pop out to change the trajectory.

It may also be possible to change the ball's trajectory by moving the center of mass but the effect would be pretty small.

Answer 2

If the ball is altered "tampered with" to gain unfair advantage it ceases to be a golf ball. The answer in golfing terms is therefore no.

A golf ball is essentially a fairly soft spherical object driven by the impact of a club. Rocket propusion or vanes would alter the nature of the projectile.

Conceptually, if instead of a "golf" ball someone developed a transmitter receiver of the same shape and size, it is conceivable that one day GPS technology will become fast and accurate enough to locate its position in time to steer it through altering the surface or the balance in some way. The surface of the ball flexes when struck by a club, so altering the surface in some way would mimic this.
Alternatively, the ball frequently spins as a result of the club impact, and some tiny gyroscopes inside could conceivably be braked or accelerated to alter the spin.

At present the scientist could use a sat phone to call a pro golfer for lessons. :-)

Answer 3

The problem is steering the golf ball while in the air and spinning. A logical choice would be laser, (radar is too weak) but then the problem becomes getting enough energy on the surface of the ball in a short enough time without destroying the ball. And, of course, knocking off pieces of the ball in flight leaving a damaged cover might cause objections from the other players and problems on the next strike - you are not allowed to change balls in mid hole I don't believe.

Answer 4

If you increase the size of the golf ball to the size of a medicine ball, add wings, a GPS, a propulsion system, and either a homing device or visual guidance system, then of course you can.

How about just practicing and become a better golfer and not spend the $25,000,000 or more in research to do this?

Or cheat a lot, when your partners aren't looking...

Answer 5

Currently there is target tracking software used in attack helicopters, tanks, ect, that is integrated with radar.

The only thing you would need to do is to integrate this tracking with pulsed lasers to help give it a push here or there to aid its trajectory.

Satellites might be too far away to give adequate response time, but tower based devices would be close enough.

Such technology is being used to target and attack people in the USA by private security firms, hired by corporate America. The so called 'crowd control' weapons in 'field testing'.

Answer 6

they can send missles to places as accurates as addresses, but not a golf ball

Answer 7

no way that is impossible ( maybe )