Flight Path Analysis, Modeling the Dynamics of Badminton Shots with Python

The aerodynamic wall is a phenomenon in which the trajectory exhibits a vertical asymptote. This report investigates the occurrence of such a wall by looking at the impact of launch speed and angle on the trajectory of a badminton shuttlecock during a clear shot and provides insight into the tuning of the drag coefficient to reproduce the observed trajectory. The research used a range of devices to launch badminton shuttles, film the trajectories and analyze the results. The author also solves the shuttle’s motion governing differential equations both analytically and numerically and compares results to both literature results and experimental results. The findings provide a good description of the badminton trajectories and have practical implications for badminton players and coaches.