[Frank Neuperger]

We figured this would be a productive outlet for some of the serious fan technology developed during lunacy.

I recall a CIM solution on our field in Atlanta with 7 lbs of thrust. For an orbit ball deflector, we had tested but eventually decided not to use a FP motor swinging an 8 inch propeller. Perhaps even a FP coupled correctly with its 185 watts output might even be enough for this disruptor. The lower speed CIM is a better candidate for the bigger fans as it's speed is 3x slower than FP and requires no gearbox.

The key to deflecting the soccer balls enough to disrupt accurate scoring will be high air velocity and some vertical aperture to the airstream. This could be an attractive strategy for those robots lacking ball handling mechanisms. Built right, it is a sure ticket to finals against an endless loop bot.

Not sure this really needs a white-paper as the concept is fairly simple. Put fan low and run lightweight duct up to the 51 inch mark. Lots of RC aircraft calculator programs on the web for matching motors to props.