Getting home after an error-strewn straight-sets defeat is never a pleasant feeling – especially when you have wait for another day to get back on the 20×10 and improve your performance.
But it will soon be possible to practise your bandeja at home, as Vista Animations and Motion Capture Barcelona are working on padel’s first virtual reality (VR) project.
The idea is already generating plenty of interest on social media. To find out more about it, The Padel Paper spoke to Spaniard Sergi Anglada, who is leading its development.
“We have been working on this for 20 months. It came about because I’m a padel fanatic and I realised there was no virtual reality app for playing padel. Since we have a motion capture studio, we decided to go for it.
“At the beginning we didn’t know how far we could go and whether the technology would allow us to create something truly realistic, but over time we realised that it would.
“We spread the first images on social media and without any marketing campaign, we have reached the public. Fans, padel clubs, brands have found us… we’ve gone from a hundred followers on Instagram to more than 7,000.”
The project has three distinct branches:
- ‘Padel VR Experiences’ will consist of completing short mini-games with a score and ranking to activate the company’s brand in physical locations.
- Next will be ‘Padel VR Training’ – padel courses with a high-level coach. Sergi explains: “The coach will explain to you, in the virtual sphere, the exercises you will have to do, you will see a player practising the exercise and finally a machine will throw balls for you to replicate the movements while the coach corrects your mistakes in real time. There will also be a mode for practising the shot of your choice and mini-games of skill where, for example, the machine will make a smash and you will have to do a drop shot.
- The ‘Padel VR Game’ – giving you the chance to compete against the CPU or in multiplayer mode. This will have rankings and levels.
In addition, the developer talks about dates and what anyone who wants to play padel in virtual reality would need:
“In the coming months we will be present at major tournaments and renowned shops with a stand where we will be launching ‘Padel VR Experiences’.
“Regarding the ‘Padel VR Training’ version, we are optimistic that the first version will be released in December this year. Our idea is to work on a subscription basis and add new classes and content every month.
“The ‘Padel VR Game’ phase we consider less of a priority than the previous two, so it will take longer to arrive. It will have a one-off payment and in-game purchases that will improve the racket, the court etc.”
“In order to practise, you need the Quest 2 virtual reality equipment, which has two controllers and a pair of glasses. We are creating an adapter for the controllers in the shape of a racket to simulate its weight, balance and the friction of the air. It would be aptical, which means that when you hit the ball, the controller would vibrate and produce the sensation of impact. On the other hand, it also works on the Quest Pro and we expect it to work on the Quest 3.
“It is also important to have a space at home of at least 3×3 metres for a good experience, as players will have to move to get to the balls.”
The project is in the ‘Alpha’ version, which means that there are users who have already tested it and are sending feedback to the company to improve the final result. It looks like it could revolutionise padel clubs and its teaching methods.
“We believe that many people will be interested in having the ‘Padel VR Training’, as it is an alternative to the tutorials you find on YouTube and the theory courses on different online platforms,” says Sergi.
“We have shown it to professional coaches and they see it as a very good option to complement training sessions because it allows you to include different settings and throw accurate balls.
“The idea is to have a virtual reality stand in the padel clubs so that the coach, after training, can send you to practice your worst shots. So far, we have found promising results from players who have tried it.”
Amateur users find it very realistic. Medium-high level players give us a reality score of 80% and professional players, as they are the ones who give the most spin and have more sensitivity to the ball, give us 60-70%.”
