Programming and computer simulation of an experimental station for automatic launching of badminton shuttlecocks

Abstract

The aim of this work is to construct and program an experimental station for an automatic launching of badminton shuttlecocks. The station should operate as a prototype device used to help badminton players improve their training, provide recurrence and precision of various badminton shots. It extends certain knowledge in the field of programming of microcontrollers. The system of automatic launching of shuttlecocks has been designed and started by running two speed-controlled DC motors driving a spinning aluminum rings. In order to build the appropriate system a stepper motor based gripper has been applied to pull out all shuttlecocks from a tube. The control system of the designed device is based on a C program that has been implemented on a microcontroller. The speed, scope and frequency of shots are adjustable regarding to the player’s requirements and abilities. In order to widen the station’s applicability, the additional remote control system was incorporated into the control unit. The investigations performed with the station were focused on numerical simulations and basic experimental verification of the expected trajectory.