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Net Results: IED Students Show Off “Ping Pong
Robots” April 30
About 260 students enrolled in Introduction
to Engineering Design (IED) will test and display their
final projects for the semester, “Ping Pong Robots,”
from 4 to 7 p.m. on April 30 in the Alumni Sports and Recreation
Center.
Twenty teams of IED students
were challenged to develop robots that can play table
tennis against a human, said the IED course coordinator,
Bill Foley. The robots must simulate all levels of ping-pong
from beginner to expert, receive and return volleys,
vary shots during a game, and “decide” where
to redirect lobs on the game table.
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Campus is invited and encouraged to attend.
IED, a required course for all
sophomore engineers, emphasizes creativity, communication,
and collaboration to create a marketable product.
Twenty teams of IED students were
challenged to develop robots that can play table tennis
against a human, said the IED course coordinator,
Bill Foley. The robots must simulate all levels of ping-pong
from beginner to expert, receive and return volleys, vary
shots during a game, and “decide” where to redirect
lobs on the game table. Designs for the machines will likely
incorporate sensors and computer and movement controls.
In the past, IED students have
developed Frisbee-throwing machines in conjunction with
Wham-O, a countertop that automatically cleans and disinfects
itself, and a pedal lawnmower that uses spring-mounted rotary
blades for uneven terrain.
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