ball shooter design

Technical Technical Discussion
1

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?

2

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”, you can get a good variety of threads discussing almost all feasible and conceivable ball launchers.

3

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).

4

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.

5

Wheel shooters can give you backspin if you want it.

6

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.