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"Table Tennis Robots" pitch balls in succession to a player, who returns them towards or into a target, as can be seen in the video above. Similar to baseball pitching machines, these are powered by electricity.
BUT...what if the power goes out, or you're in the middle of the woods, or on an Apollo mission where every amp is mission critical...and you want to improve your ping pong skills? Not to worry, my friends. I have found the answer.
Height: 48 inches
Width: 24 inches
Depth: 5 inches
Weight: 15 pounds without weights
Power: 18 pound weights
Weight Drop Distance: 40 inches
Escapement: Graham (dead-beat)
Number of shots: 14 balls
Frequency: 1 shot per 5 seconds
Firing Angle: 40 degrees above horizontal
Firing Distance: 9 feet
Ball Spin: Negligible top spin
This performance is not really acceptable for professional training; Ideally it should fire at a lower angle and much faster. However, this will be easily achieved in the next model, and this novelty is still immensely entertaining to watch and to use.
"The device will serve as an exhibit of a purely mechanical solution to a problem that has been solved traditionally via electro-mechanical means." - Exerpt from ME6105 Modeling and Simulation report
This project, which started out as a daydream and sketches in class, later returned to the classroom as my proposal for a Modeling and Simulation project for Graduate School at Georgia Tech. Ben Beck, Jay Johnson, Ryder Winck and I constructed a detailed model of the machine in Dymola, generating striking 3D simulation animations, and optimized its key parameters using Model Center. Modeling, simulating, and optimizing were all that were required.
But of course I had to build it!...partly for fun, partly in hopes of it actually being useful, but mostly to see if it could be done. I love table tennis, I love engineering, and I love a challenge. It turned out to be quite difficult, and I worked at it for several months, off and on. Using only woodworking tools, gorilla glue, and a Home Depot gift card, I built one component at a time. Nearly every one was remade at least once. The machine is still being refined and strengthened. Updated photos will be posted soon.
Representing the Georgia Tech Table Tennis Association, I currently do demonstrations of the machine at campus events, allowing spectators to try their hand at target practice. I plan on modifying it eventually to make it suitable for competitive training. It needs to pitch more balls, at a lower angle, with more speed, and it would be ideal if these settings were adjustable. When I get into metalworking, I'll be better equipeed to make this happen.
I don't see this as being very marketable. As is, it is primarily a novelty item. If you think otherwise, feel free to contact me.
In Spring 2008 the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets competed for their first time in the NCTTA National Championships. The men came in at 16th in the Nation. The women, 4th. This machine is dedicated to the 2008 Nationally Ranked Georgia Tech team.
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Homemade Table Tennis Robot Video. Choose the "watch in high quality" option and please rate and comment! |
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More table tennis engineering projects sponsored by the Georgia Tech Table Tennis Association |
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Serious fun for the inventor in all of us |