Self-Playing Pinball Machine

In 2003, students at the University of Illinois retrofitted a Star Trek pinball machine to play itself. A camera above the playfield is connected to a computer inside the machine. The computer controls the flippers and the ball launcher. The red dot on the computer monitor shows where the machine thinks the ball is. We estimate it's about as good as a 3-year old.
See more information at http://www.acm.uiuc.edu/sigarch/projects/pinball/

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• pinball
• robot
• gadget
• electronics
• engineering
• computer

[SpiteSire]

I play online pinball.

[david1991rules4life]

could be editing with the tracking and green radar look, on the video u neva see the bottom of the machine where the buttons or triggers can be for the smackers/or paddles. so i'ma say false and homosexual :)

[Tiamat583]

whoa, that is amazing!

[EzelWesik]

A 3 year old would dualflip though :-)

[mandy26lez]

which machine is that?

[NegroRenaca]

They mess with the GI lights though :P Excelent job.

[TheFatAssCat]

reminds me of the paintball ananomous turrit that uses a similar rogram to aim and fiire a paintball gun at moving targets (a little more complex than this)

[srarcade]

Cool project!!

[catkinsx]

Very creative! Love the meld of the old and new technology.

[djrock9000]

That is the shit!