Autonomous Tennis Ball Robot With Scoop and Pusher Pad Retrieval
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Solution Overview
Problem
The tedious and time-consuming process of manually retrieving tennis balls from a court, along with the safety hazard posed by balls left on the playing surface, necessitates a fully automated robotic system for efficient ball collection and tidying.
Innovation Solution
A robotic system equipped with a scoop, pusher pad arms, wheels or tracks for mobility, a processor, and a robotic control system, capable of mapping the environment, localizing itself, and autonomously picking up and storing or launching balls using pusher pads and a scoop.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If manual pickup by personnel is used, then the process is simple and requires minimal equipment, but it is tedious and time-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The robotic system performs ball retrieval autonomously without human intervention. The robot navigates the court, detects balls using sensors, approaches them, and picks them up using a scoop mechanism, thereby serving itself and eliminating the need for manual retrieval by personnel.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the manual mechanical action of human personnel picking up balls with an automated robotic system. The robot uses sensors for detection, processors for decision-making, and automated mechanical components (scoop, arms) to perform the retrieval, substituting human labor with an integrated sensor-processing-actuation system.
2Extent of automation
If conventional automated solutions with direct or remote steering are used, then automation level increases, but they require complex control systems and human intervention
Solution Approach 1:
The robot achieves full autonomy by integrating sensing, processing, and actuation systems that work together without human intervention. The processor receives sensor data, autonomously determines ball locations and navigation paths, and controls the mechanical components to retrieve balls, creating a self-sufficient automated system.
Solution Approach 2:
The robotic system integrates multiple functions into a single platform: environmental mapping, self-localization, ball detection, navigation, and ball retrieval. This multi-functional integration achieves high automation while managing complexity through unified system design rather than separate specialized systems.
3Ease of operation
If balls are left on the court for later retrieval, then manual effort is reduced temporarily, but tripping hazards increase
Solution Approach 1:
The robot autonomously navigates the court and retrieves balls as they become available, maintaining the court clear of hazards without requiring manual intervention. The system continuously monitors and responds to ball locations, ensuring safety while eliminating the need for temporary ball storage that creates tripping hazards.
Solution Approach 2:
The robotic system provides continuous ball retrieval operation, constantly scanning for balls and immediately collecting them when found. This continuous action ensures the court remains clear of hazards throughout operation, rather than allowing balls to accumulate and create tripping dangers during periods when retrieval is not occurring.
Data Source
AI summary
A method, apparatus, and system are disclosed for a robot with tennis ball gathering capabilities. A robot is configured to collect, transport, and deposit for storage tennis balls and other light-mobile sports equipment such as are used in table tennis, badminton, squash, pickleball, golf, basketball, dodgeball, floor hockey, indoor soccer, etc., to assist a player in practice without need for additional support personnel or manual ball retrieval by the player.