Becoming a good table tennis player requires consistent effort, whether it be keeping score, practicing serves, or playing against other opponents. Luckily, two Industrial Engineering students, Carson Castle and Camden Kilroy, along with their team, have developed the perfect solution: an autonomous table tennis robot.

 

Motivated by the uniqueness of an autonomous table tennis system, the team came together to develop a solution. In the end, their final project was able to win matches against human players, control ball spin with serves, and keep score. While impressive, their journey to this working product was not as easy as one might think. 

 

The team first came together in early August, where they made preliminary sketches, CAD models, and divided up responsibilities. Since their project is entirely self funded, they had to heavily consider material costs, and the requirements of the system. Once the team’s first iteration was complete, they were prepared to present it at the Purdue ECE SPARK Challenge in the fall. However, they came up short. Much of the robot’s capabilities were not at the level they wanted it to be, leaving the group discouraged. But that experience only served to motivate them into improving the project further.

 

After much work the following semester, Castle and Kilroy’s team returned to the Purdue ECE SPARK Challenge, and swept a 1st place victory in the personal projects category. While being judged by industry professionals, this recreational project demonstrated its potential for commercial viability, by incorporating good engineering practices and innovation. The team was able to showcase their technical ability to their fullest extent, while also being inspired by other student groups at the challenge. 

 

From left to right: Jake Forrest, Camden Kilroy, David Rancovan, Carson Castle, Alex Forrest, receiving the Technical Innovation Award at the Purdue Engineering Design EXPO.

 

“Observing the wide range of projects and design approaches gave us new ideas, exposed us to different engineering perspectives, and highlighted the high level of innovation being developed across Purdue engineering. Experiences like these truly make you proud to be a Purdue Boilermaker,” says Castle and Kilroy. The team was also awarded the Technical Innovation Award at the Purdue Engineering Design EXPO. With a competition pool involving projects from Senior Design, PMP Capstone, EPICS, VIP, and independent student projects, this award signified the team’s exemplary problem solving skills using technical solutions.

 

Though the robot is merely a “beginner bot” due to mechanical limitations and inability to reach the ball in certain spots/speeds, Castle and Kilroy were able to achieve a unique, real-world impact. Because of the team’s focus on minimizing the budget, they successfully developed a high speed object tracking system without breaking the bank. They hope to progress their project by improving their cameras, processing computer, and electrical system.

 

Though the team may not have succeeded at first, their effort throughout the semester amounted to well-deserved victories. Experiencing mistakes is exactly what reinforces the value of learning, both in and out of the classroom. This team used their setbacks to their advantage, and even when they won, continued to seize the opportunity to learn from other talented students at various competitions. Just like in table tennis, they smashed their obstacles and served a successful result.