This device is the field hockey equivalent of a baseball pitcher. It shoots field hockey balls at players to aid in a variety of training exercises. This prototype holds 5 balls, and has adjustable speed, fire rate, and pitch. It also has indicator lights to tell the user when a ball is about to be fired.
Field Hockey Shooter
Finished Prototype
These photos are of the completed prototype. The frame is made out of thin plasma cut plates held together with spacers, and the base is welded steel tubing. The flywheels are driven by a pair of FRC CIM motors powered by refurbished 12V server power supplies. The electronics are all controlled with a Arduino Uno running a basic state machine.
Prototype Testing
As seen in the video, everything worked as intended, but range was a bit limited. The major takeaway from this prototype was that wheels with a lower durometer, slightly larger radius, and larger mass are needed.