Ping Pong Ball Launcher
UIUC’s introductory dynamics course (TAM 212: Introduction to Dynamics) provides students with foundational knowledge to succeed in later, core mechanical engineering courses. As a part of TAM 212’s final project, I worked on a team of 4 students to create a ping pong ball launcher. As a class competition, the launcher would need to consistently launch a ping pong ball onto a target at an unknown length and height away. Our design would need to be reliable and adjustable for the provided location data.
This project required theory to create a calculator to adjust our trajectory on-the-spot and mechanical design to create a reliable machine with inexpensive prototyping materials. The majority of the ping pong launcher was designed and modeled using CAD software (Siemens NX). Additional construction materials included rubber bands, a bolt, glue, and cardboard.
The following video displays a slow-motion test of the launcher’s projectile motion.
Ping Pong Ball Launcher Report
Teammates
Breanna Chan, Ninaad Sridharan, Hannah Park