Autonomous Tennis Ball Ejection Robot with Vision Tracking
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Solution Overview
Problem
Players in sports like tennis face challenges with cumbersome retrieval of multiple balls during practice or matches, inaccurate manual tracking of performance metrics, and subjective determination of ball placement within court boundaries, necessitating an autonomous system for efficient ball management and performance tracking.
Innovation Solution
An autonomous tennis assistant system comprising tennis ball ejection robots and base stations that autonomously eject and retrieve balls, detect player locations, and generate performance metrics, using computer vision and navigation algorithms to ensure accurate ball placement and tracking.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If players manually retrieve and manage multiple tennis balls during practice or matches, then ball management is performed with simple equipment, but the process becomes cumbersome and time-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The autonomous ball machine serves itself by automatically ejecting balls, tracking their locations using sensors, and retrieving them without human intervention. The system manages its own ball supply and distribution, eliminating the need for players to manually handle balls during practice sessions.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces manual mechanical ball handling with an automated electromechanical system. Motors, sensors, and control circuits substitute for human hands and eyes, enabling autonomous ball ejection, tracking, and retrieval operations that improve efficiency and reduce time loss.
2Measurement precision
If players manually track performance metrics, then the system remains simple, but accuracy decreases due to human error
Solution Approach 1:
The system continuously monitors ball locations, player positions, and performance metrics using sensors and cameras, then feeds this data back to the control system for real-time analysis. This closed-loop feedback mechanism enables accurate automated tracking of performance metrics including ball placement, shot accuracy, and practice statistics.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses optical sensors and cameras to create digital copies or representations of physical ball locations and player movements. These digital copies are processed by software algorithms to accurately track and record performance metrics without requiring manual measurement, thereby eliminating human error while maintaining system manageability.
3Measurement precision
If players subjectively determine ball placement within boundary lines, then the process remains simple, but accuracy becomes highly erroneous
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces subjective human visual judgment with objective optical sensing systems including cameras and sensors that automatically detect ball placement relative to boundary lines. This substitution eliminates subjective error by using precise optical measurements to determine whether balls land in or out, providing accurate automated boundary line detection.
Solution Approach 2:
The system introduces an intermediary detection layer between the ball and the determination of its placement status. Sensors and cameras act as intermediaries that objectively measure ball position and communicate this data to the control system, removing the need for players to make subjective visual assessments and thereby significantly improving measurement precision.
4Productivity
If an autonomous ball machine system is implemented, then ball management efficiency improves, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The autonomous ball machine is designed to perform multiple functions within a single integrated system: ball ejection, ball tracking, boundary detection, performance metric calculation, and ball retrieval. This multi-functionality consolidates what would otherwise require multiple separate devices into one universal system, improving solo practice efficiency while managing overall device complexity through integration.
Data Source
AI summary
Systems, methods, and computer-readable media are disclosed for autonomous tennis assistant systems having autonomous ball machines such as an autonomous and interactive tennis ball ejection robot. Example methods include determining, by a device, the position of a first player on a tennis court, determining a first target location for a first tennis ball to be ejected toward the first player, generating a trajectory for the first tennis ball to reach the first target location, and causing ejection of the first tennis ball from the tennis ball ejection robot along the generated trajectory toward the first target location. A base station may be used to provide image data for use by the tennis ball ejection robot from one or more additional vantage points.