Homemade Table Tennis Ping Pong Robot

Click "watch in hi-quality" in blue text!

I invented this mechanical "Ping Pong Robot" because I'm a mechanical engineering student at Georgia Tech and I love Table Tennis. It is a purely mechanical alternative to the electro-mechanical robots currently available.

Ben Beck, Jay Johnson, Ryder Winck, and I chose this device for our Modeling and Simulation project Spring 2008. The results were put into practice when I built it later in the semester.

In Spring 2008 the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets competed for their first time in the NCTTA National Championships. The men came in at 16th in the Nation. The women, 4th. This machine is dedicated to the 2008 Nationally Ranked Georgia Tech team.

For more information about:
Georgia Tech Table Tennis
the Modeling and Simulation Project
and other Table Tennis Projects

visit www.cyberbuzz.gatech.edu/tta

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• Georgia
• Tech
• table
• tennis
• ping
• pong
• robot
• launcher
• invention
• contraption
• engineering
• project

[bluelava0207]

Sorry if I haven't responded to some of these comments. I missed them somehow. I don't have plans to make this, unfortunately. Most of the parts were made with trial and error and I never documented the final "as built" design except in this video. Thanks for the feedback and let me know if any of you try something similar. I'd love to see.

[frog45678]

great video editing!!!!!!!the rube goldberg not as impressive but still entertaining

[bluelava0207]

Thanks. It's actually not a Rube Goldberg machine, as each component has a necessary function. If you can believe it, it's actually the simplest solution I could think of for a purely mechanical, gravity powered, multiple-ball pitching machine.

[fbrad1]

why'd u call this a robot? it has no autonomy, its just a machine

[bluelava0207]

Very true. Actually, in table tennis, they refer to these pitching machines as "robots" even though, technically, they are not.

[alexanderb8]

YEAH GEORGIA TECH

[bluelava0207]

Yeah! Our table tennis team is headed to the national NCTTA Championships in Minnesota right now. Go Tech!

[heay46]

how is it made i want to make one too

[dandycart1]

hello bluelava 0207!! im a student and need to no how your system works in full detail also all the components involved it is for a project, the thing i am stuck with is the inside of the machine how things go together the chain drive thing... the balls are on a kind of ramp arnt they so they are fed down a slope? if you could get back to me asap that would be great my email address is calcutter_9@hotmail.co.uk the spring loaded latch to feed the balls how does tht work its clever.....

[aznjc54]

wow interesting

[wisedennis]

smart, man

[rfan]

penholders rock!

[rfan]

pen holders rock!!!

[MrEmail06]

i wish id have that machine..

[marshman]

awesome!

[Nguhuan]

Unreal.