ball shooter design

[lemonzap]

Our team has been discussing the advantages and disadvantages of different ball shooters. wheel pitcher, catapult, 2nd hoop dunker, etc. I personally like the wheel pitcher because I think it would be far more accurate than our other ideas. It does start to become less predictable as you lose battery power while a catapult does not. I think a catapult would be slow loading and inaccurate, but what do you think? what design do you prefer and why?(not just these 2 designs)

also what do you think of a design like this?
http://gizmodo.com/368979/tennis-ball-cannon-is-a-dogs-best-robotic-friend

[Ernst]

Regarding the tennis ball launcher, I think a giant slingshot would probably be the least consistent or reliable.

If you search CD for the word "launcher" (http://www.chiefdelphi.com/forums/search.php?searchid=3831484), you can get a good variety of threads discussing almost all feasible and conceivable ball launchers.

[bobaekimm]

The wheel pitcher sounds like the best idea to me, at least until someone can give me more pros to a slingshot or catapult (the hooking/pulling mechanisms that both of those need seem a little unnecessarily difficult to me).

[rich2202]

If you put an encoder on the wheel, you can spin it up to a repeatable speed, and hold it there. Just choose a speed that is not full speed.

[dtengineering]

Wheel shooters can give you backspin if you want it.

[Tom I]

If you put an encoder on the wheel, you can spin it up to a repeatable speed, and hold it there. Just choose a speed that is not full speed.

Yeah with an encoder to measure rpm, you can figure out if you're losing speed due to battery drain, and thus adjust the angle to make it work.