Numerical modeling of badminton shuttlecock and validation of flight trajectory

Abstract

In this research, we developed two numerical models to determine flight trajectories of badminton shuttle during “spin-net shot” and tested validity of the models. One was a model made of two spheres introduced in a previous study (model I) and the other was a model made of a truncated cone and a sphere (model II). The simulation outcomes of these two models were compared with experimental values. The results showed that flight trajectories of “spin-net-shots” were predicted more accurately with model II than model I. Rotational motion of the shuttle was not predicted accurately with either models. We suggest that the effects of “added mass” should be included in the model to improve the accuracy of predicting both translational and rotational motions of the shuttle.