Final Design

Project Performance:

At the start of the operation, the baseballs need to be manually loaded into the feeder through the receiver. At which point, the baseballs will begin to load up the feeder system and into the connection tube to the flywheel. The user will then be able to control the direction and speed of the launch with the remote controller. Once set, the user will give the command to launch with the same controller and start practicing. When the baseball is thrown back to the strike zone where the receiver occupies, the baseball will be guided into the feeder system and wait for the next launch.

The final design of the baseball fielding machine is divided into four major systems:

  1. Feeder System

  2. Housing Components

  3. Launching and Aiming System

  4. Mobility System

Final render of the feeder system design that makes the use of a chain drive to carry the balls up from the ground.

Feeder System

The final design of the feeder system was chosen because it was:

  • Easier to manufacture

  • Extra storage to hold 5-10 balls in the system

  • Easily receive the ball from both the infield and the outfield

  • Easy to use for all individuals

  • Extremely durable to withstand the weather and any impacts from a baseball

Housing Components

A 1/4" machine-grade polycarbonate housing was used to protect the DC motor and other electrical components. The machine housing has interior shelves which allow for a compact design of the electrical components. It also includes a removable exterior which allows for ease of access to the components. After doing some strength and stress analysis on the material, the polycarbonate material was tested to have the least deformation if hit by a baseball going at 90 MPH.

Housing Components without the shelves and locking latches. Shelves will be added behind the DC motor.

Impact Analysis of the Housing Components

A SolidWorks Nonlinear Dynamic Collision Study was performed to see if the material would crack. This simulation consists of a baseball colliding with a 6.35 mm thick plate of polycarbonate. The assumptions made in this study were that the baseball would be traveling at a speed of 40.23 m/sec and that the baseball would have a Poisson ratio of 0.5. The results of this study was that the polycarbonate plate experienced very little stress and displacement while the baseball received a majority of the stress and displacement upon collision.

SolidWorks Nonlinear Dynamic Collision Study: Stress test of the quarter-inch polycarbonate with a baseball going at 90 mph.

The outsourced wireless remote control (right) connects to the sixteen-channel relay switch (left).

Remote Control System

The remote system uses an outsourced remote control that allows the user to control the fielding machine in the following ways: left and right angle, pitch and yaw (ie. the vertical angle of the launching arm), and the individual release of the ball. The remote control system works in all environments and temperatures and has a range that covers the entire baseball field.

Mobility System

A JUGS BP1 Transport Cart in order to transport the baseball fielding machine. This outsourced cart needed a transport interface to work with the current machine so a transport interface was designed as seen from the image on the right (the steel triangle). The cart weighs over 50 pounds so the transport cart helps the user move the fielding machine to any location required.

Steel transport interface allows "The Trainer" the rest on the Jugs BP1 Transport cart (blue frame).

Performance and Results

Performance Test (March 9, 2022)

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Performance Test (March 2, 2022)

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