Mobile Ball Retriever With Vertical Ejector for Continuous Court Play
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current automated tennis ball retrieval systems are inefficient and impractical for match play due to their large size, weight, high power consumption, and inability to retrieve and return balls during active play, disrupting the pace and quality of games.
Innovation Solution
A mobile robotic retriever with a vertical ball ejector that can move around the court, collect balls, and return them in the air or along the surface, optimized for tennis, pickleball, and platform tennis, using a processor-controlled system with sensors and a docking station to minimize manual intervention and maximize playtime.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If manual ball collection is used, then players can retrieve balls, but play time is reduced due to interruptions
Solution Approach 1:
The robotic retriever autonomously collects and returns balls without requiring player intervention. The system self-navigates to balls, picks them up, and delivers them back to players, eliminating the need for players to stop play and manually retrieve balls themselves.
Solution Approach 2:
The robotic retriever acts as an intermediary between the ball and the player. Instead of players directly interacting with balls during play, the robot mediates by collecting loose balls and returning them to appropriate locations, allowing continuous play without player interruptions.
2Productivity
If automated retrieval systems are used, then ball collection is efficient, but the systems are too large and consume too much power
Solution Approach 1:
The robotic retriever system is divided into separate functional modules: navigation unit, ball detection sensors, ball collection mechanism, and ball return system. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized independently for energy efficiency while maintaining overall retrieval effectiveness.
Solution Approach 2:
The robot operates in periodic cycles: detecting balls, navigating to their locations, collecting them, and returning them. This periodic operation pattern allows the system to enter low-power states between active tasks, reducing overall power consumption compared to continuous operation.
3Productivity
If traditional retrieval methods are used, then balls can be collected, but play pace is disrupted
Solution Approach 1:
The robotic retriever enables continuous play by eliminating interruptions. While players remain focused on the game, the robot continuously operates in the background, detecting and collecting balls as they become loose, and returning them without requiring players to stop or change their play rhythm.
Solution Approach 2:
The robot performs preliminary ball collection and return actions before players need the balls again. By proactively gathering and returning balls ahead of time, the system ensures balls are available when needed without disrupting the flow of play.
Data Source
AI summary
A method for retrieving a ball on and about a sports court and for controllably releasing the ball includes a retriever having a vertical ball ejector, and upon ball collection, returning the ball to a desired location in the air or along the sports court surface. The sports court may be a tennis court or a pickleball court, with the method for retrieving and returning a ball being conducted with tennis balls or pickleballs on the respective court type.