Carl Scragg wrote:sean996 wrote:Be sure to check out my baby . .. the golf robot at the center of the USGA/American Express exhibit . . . I designed and built the machine they have on display back in '95.
Sean
We stopped by to check out "Iron Mike" and it's pretty cool. This robot consistently smacks the cr*p out of the ball. It can hit a driver better than anyone this side of Tiger Woods, but why can't it tee up the ball without the assistance of a human? That seems like the easy part of the problem

It's all easy . .. . just write me a check

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"Iron Mike" . . . Rod Luck wanted me to name it "Iron Rod" and on camera I said "I'm not sure it can live up to that name" or something like that

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Teeing up is more complicated for the robot than for a human player . .. because the machine is so accurate the co's orient the ball on/off the seam for different tests . .. I'm working on an optical system right now that can rotate the ball in 2 axes as she tees up.
The other thing you didn't get to see is mapping the face . .. they move the ball around on the face and see the effect on distance/dispersion . . . working on an auto system for that also.
Way back when I first finsihed the machine we only needed 120mph head speed . .. we cranked it up to 165 mph with a standard club 'til something broke . .. ball leaves at roughly 1.5x head speed.
Cheers,
Sean