Toy Ball Cannon - The BOOM Squad

Background

The Toy Ball Cannon Project is a mechatronics-focused design that redefines recreational fun. The system launches lightweight projectiles using flywheel technology while coupling RGB-oriented object detection and navigation to track fast-moving targets. This project heavily involves collaborative design, research, prototyping, performance optimization, safety considerations, and extensive testing, allowing us to apply critical engineering principles in a dynamic way to meet our stakeholder needs and expectations.

Goals and Objectives

Inspired by the Nerf Rival Nemesis blaster, our team aims to create an autonomous turret that sprays a volley of balls to hit the target a minimum of one time per firing cycle.

Our deliverables for this project consist of the following:

Fully functional physical cannon with necessary Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs)
Successful in-person demonstration of cannon hitting mobile target
Models and calculations that exhibit the relevant physics of the design
Thorough documentation of design, manufacturing, and testing

Key Features

Stationary cannon base whose yaw is dictated by a lazy susan bearing actuated by a stepper motor
Dual flywheel launching system
Projectile funneling system that utilizes rotating agitators to prevent ball jamming and a conveyor belt for continuous feeding into the flywheel
RBG camera for color-based target identification and tracking

Project Timeline

Fall Quarter: