What if a cricket ball wasn’t just stitched leather…
but a pressure-managed, spin-reactive engineered system?
For the Cricket Meets Engineering challenge, I deconstructed the traditional ball and rebuilt it using structural and aerodynamic logic.
This is not a cosmetic redesign.
It’s a performance-driven evolution.
🧬 Internal Architecture — Gyroid TPMS Core
Between a 35 mm solid core and a 3 mm outer shell lies a 15.5 mm functional lattice zone.
Instead of conventional winding, I implemented a Gyroid TPMS structure.
Why Gyroid?
• Continuous minimal surface — zero stress concentration nodes
• Uniform mass distribution
• Progressive energy absorption during high-velocity impact
• Additive-manufacturing ready architecture
No sharp joints. No weak intersections.
Just continuous load diffusion.
🎥 Motion Analysis — Impact & Bounce Dynamics
A motion study was performed using SOLIDWORKS Motion to track the ball’s center of mass trajectory and velocity during impact.
Key insights:
• Parabolic trajectory with a controlled rebound, indicating stable energy redistribution within the Gyroid TPMS core.
• Velocity reversal at impact (~3.6 m/s) captured in the velocity–time curve.
• Progressive damping behavior, showing how the lattice structure absorbs energy during bounce.
🌪 Aerodynamic Validation — Magnus Effect Under Spin
Simulation performed using
SOLIDWORKS Flow Simulation
Conditions:
Velocity: 40 m/s
Angular velocity: 260 rad/s
Gravity: Enabled
External steady-state flow
Lateral Force (Magnus Component – Y): 0.090 N
Vertical Force (Z): ~ -0.005 N
Skin Friction: ~ 2.9 × 10⁻⁵ N
✔ Controlled lateral deviation
✔ Near-zero vertical instability
✔ Minimal parasitic drag
The ball doesn’t just spin.
It generates measurable lift.
✨ The “Ring of Light”
A matte black carbon shell paired with emissive white seams.
As the ball rotates, the seam forms a luminous aerodynamic halo — a visual representation of angular momentum and swing direction.
Function meets identity.
Rendered using
SOLIDWORKS Visualize
Cricket is decided in millimeters.
Engineering is decided in microns.
When both align, performance becomes inevitable.
