Ping Pong Server

[landoandrews]

Here's my latest project:

[Lakop]

Very clever. I like it and it's pure lego.

Excellent!

H

[Blakbird]

I love practical machines made from Lego. Very well done.

[Paul B Technic]

Now that is very cool, I love seeing practical builds like this :)

[landoandrews]

I love practical machines made from Lego. Very well done.

Thanks, I hope to create another version of this soon that will be controlled by my mindstorm. That way I could have a variety of serves in different directions.

[camaudio]

how about a hopper on top where you can "attempt" to return the balls into?

[landoandrews]

how about a hopper on top where you can "attempt" to return the balls into?

I actually wanted to put a net surrounding the opposing side of the table to stop the balls, and a gutter of some sort to guide the balls back to a feeder, that would feed the balls back into the pitcher. But I trashed that Idea, because I didn't have the means to make a net, or something to stop the balls.

[Gee]

Awesome! I used to play a lot of table tennis as a kid!

Perhaps the next iteration can be made to oscillate between backhand and forehand sides of the table?

[Jody Meyer]

yup, that is a great job, love the control of the angle. nice job.

[Doc_Brown]

Just amazing! :thumbup:

I'll take one for my table. :)

[landoandrews]

Awesome! I used to play a lot of table tennis as a kid!

Perhaps the next iteration can be made to oscillate between backhand and forehand sides of the table?

I thought it would be really cool to have two fly wheels instead of one, spinning one faster than the othercould then bring in top and bottom spin. Or if I could build four fly wheels on it I could have spin in any direction!

[Gee]

Now that would be something to behold! You could generate some wicked spin, much more than a person with a bat could put on a ball!

[landoandrews]

Here's an idea I have for controlling the spin. Rather than having two separate motor controls, I think that it would be easier to control it mechanically, which would allow for much finer tuning to the spin speed than individual motors would offer.

There are rubber bands connecting the control lever to the differential outputs. When the lever is turned, friction is applied to one of the two differential outputs, resulting in a faster speed from the other output.

........I'm not saying that individual motors wouldn't work, but I just think this is a cool idea.

Edited January 3, 2014 by landoandrews

[Gee]

Interesting. Those outputs from the diff wold have to be well braced though to avoid any unwanted bending.