This week we worked on our group project in order to design a machine.
We set out to create a ping pong practice machine that would be able to launch a ball directly from a feed at different places on the table with different spin and speed rates. There were four different aspects of the machine. The first was the ball launcher. This was the part for which I was responsible. The ball launcher was supposed to be able to have a ball shoot through two wheels at varying speeds in order to propel across the ping pong table at different spin and speed rates. Also, the ball launcher can circle around at different angles that can also produce a particular type of spin on the ball
The second aspect of the machine is the pan and tilt head. The ball launcher is located directly on top of this part of the machine. The pan and tilt head lets the launcher pan to different angles around the z axis (left and right) from where it can then launch the ball. It also can tilt up and down in order to let the ball travel at different arcs out of the ball launcher.
The third part of the machine is the slider rail. This holds the pan and tilt head. This allows the launcher and pan and tilt head to perform their functions from various parts of the x axis along the end of the ping pong table. It moves horizontally.
The fourth and final part of the machine is the ball feed. This part of the machine allows the balls to flow directly into the launcher.
