Development of the motion-controllable ball

Abstract

In this report, we propose a novel ball type interactive interface device. Balls are one of the most important pieces of equipment used for entertainment and sports. Their motion guides a player's response in terms of, for example, a feint or similar movement. Many kinds of breaking ball throws have been developed for various sports(e.g. baseball). However, acquiring the skill to appropriately react to these breaking balls is often hard to achieve and requires long-term training. Many researchers focus on the ball itself and have developed interactive balls with visual and acoustic feedbacks. However, these balls do not have the ability for motion control. In this paper, we introduce a ball-type motion control interface device. It is composed of a ball and an air-pressure tank to change its vector using gas ejection. We conducted an experiment that measures the ball's flight path while subjected to gas ejection and the results showed that the prototype system had enough power to change the ball's vector while flying