Pro Stringer Issue 8 - 2017 ProStringer_0817 final | Page 19

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INDUSTRY NEWS
The Ready-to-Use Line Call Device
Everyone has had problems with line calls and replaying points. A
new device by inventor Grégoire Gentil may be the answer. Called,
“In/Out” (this small, $199 unit attaches to any netpost, on any type
of court, and detects whether balls are in or out. On Aug. 28, Gentil’s In/
Out device won first prize in the Tennis Industry Association’s “Tennis
Innovation Challenge,” held in New York City during the US Open.
The inventor and engineer, who now lives in Palo Alto, Calif., has
made a number of innovative consumer products over the years,
and even sold a software company to Cisco Systems Inc. The
idea was to have something for recreational players that was
inexpensive— that basically would be in the same price range
as a new tennis racquet.” Gentil spent two years developing and
designing the In/Out device from the lab he fashioned in his home’s
living room.
In/Out has two cameras, each of which monitors one side of the court. The unit attaches to the top of the net
post with a plastic strap. When a player pushes a button on the screen on the top of the device, In/Out scans
the court to find the lines using artificial-intelligence software—an auto-calibration process that takes 10 to 15
seconds. The unit runs on a standard battery and also has a USB connection. You can use light and /or sound to
signal when the Ball is in or out.
But the unit does much more than call balls in or out. It also can provide statistics and HD video playback, which
players can use to help them improve. For instance, after playing or practicing, In/Out can show where all shots
landed, how high the ball was, how fast it was going, the spin on the ball and much more. In/Out does have some
limits, including a margin of error in millimeters that Gentil continues to work on improving.
Also, in doubles, the extra players may block the device’s line of sight, so Gentil recommends using two In/Out
devices. But, considering the Hawk-Eye system used by pro tournaments runs about $60,000, recreational
players, tennis clubs and facilities will likely find a $199 option appealing.
For more info please visit: www.inout.tennis
International Award for Tennis Cambodia
Tennis Cambodia received the inaugural International Tennis Hall of Fame Global Organization of Distinction
Award in recognition of its achievements in rebuilding tennis following the sport’s eradication during the
genocide by the Khmer Rouge regime in the 1970s.
New candidates for the Tennis Hall of Fame
Wimbledon champions Pat Cash and Michael Stich, along with Anders Jarryd, Tom Okker and Helena Sukova,
have been named candidates for induction into the International Tennis Hall of Fame. Voting takes place this
fall; the inductees will be announced in early 2018.
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