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Pedal Powered Tennis Ball Launcher

video Pedal Powered Tennis Ball Launcher

Both cleanly powered and built from 2 recycled bicycles, scrap steel and wood, leaking 5 gallon water jug and a lacross stick, our pedal powered tennis ball launcher was created as a unique entry for the innovate or die pedal powered machine contest.
It allows players varying in skill levels to practice to be better at both tennis and cycling. The launcher is towed to the court on its built-in bicycle trailer. A bike is secured to it and functions to drive the device. Pedaling the cycle as one would on a trainer drives the two launcher wheels. The cyclist then aims using the bike handlebars to and pulls the lever to launch balls to the hitter.

Check out the High Speed Videos (Slow Motion) at 300fps and 600fps of the launcher in action, and other information about the launcher and it's construction:
http://danielbauen.com/make/index.php/pedal-powered-tennis-ball-launcher/

Construction Detail Video:

52 comments

1-40 of 52

Oct 30, 2011. 10:32 AMBlaise_Gauba says:

Ingenious! Very impressive!

Sep 9, 2011. 4:48 AMurchit says:

meraviglioso very very good

Sep 8, 2011. 2:39 PM

fozzy13 says:

Awesome idea, and great video!

Aug 11, 2011. 5:17 AMdeqwer says:

This is great can you post a instructables?

Aug 10, 2011. 11:22 PM

rocketman221 says:

Damn metacafe won't let me watch the video. Could you upload the video file to instructables or something.

Sep 14, 2008. 8:24 PMmfarnawany says:

WOuld it be possible to post 4 closer up pictures? I was interested in trying to build this. 1. Top Down - Real Wheel of Bike over Drive train 2. Side Shot - From the Outside, Two Wheels doing the launching 3. Inside Shot - Inside Show w/out attached bike of the same 4. Any Shot - SOme kind of shot of the Water Jug ball feed apparatus. Don't know if I can build it, but wouldn't mind trying. Thanks

Sep 17, 2008. 4:18 PM

engineerable (author) says:

Thanks for the interest! I will be posting better pictures and closeup video on my website soon, and I will let you know.

Sep 22, 2010. 12:31 AMcontrolfreak04 says:

what is your website?

May 6, 2011. 9:08 AM

engineerable (author) says:

http://danielbauen.com/pedalpoweredtennis/

Dec 17, 2010. 8:10 PMKalipa says:

It's really awesome and clever, but, if you have a person that can manpower the machine, why not just have him throw the balls back at you??

Apr 22, 2011. 5:24 PM

ALogan97 says:

what if they don't have hands?

Sep 22, 2010. 12:29 AMcontrolfreak04 says:

hy there, honestly your work is awesome! there are some questions...

1)how do you attach the lever with the cycle?
2)what material that makes the tennis ball injected one at a time?

Jul 13, 2009. 10:37 PMIts Giggles says:

*applauds*
Bravo my friend, this is truly a work of geniousness.
By the way, have you come up with an official name for this mechanism?

Jul 13, 2009. 7:20 PMbassclarinet23 says:

Awesome! Do you think it is possible to make one strong enough to launch softballs?

Jun 19, 2009. 1:39 PMIllamadi says:

Does anyone have any ideas on how to make a rugby ball launcher and what mechanism to use in order to propell it ?

May 22, 2009. 4:47 PMMartian925 says:

Although kind of Rube-Goldberg-ish and useless (why not just bring another racquet and hit the balls to your partner?!), very clever engineering and cool video.

Apr 9, 2009. 8:52 PMthepaul1993 says:

very nice

Mar 25, 2009. 2:10 PMkillerkorn says:

thats awesome. and yea instructables can be quite easy to make and dont take that long to make so you should try posting up how to make one of these AMAZING contraptions.

Mar 12, 2009. 6:00 PMatomicturkey27 says:

this...is....amazing.... i want to make one

Dec 13, 2008. 5:13 AMkibbler says:

That is boss!

Mar 12, 2009. 11:11 AMRedgerr says:

totaly :]

Dec 13, 2008. 2:40 AMsory24712 says:

how do u build that u should post a instructable i would love!!!! to build this

Nov 11, 2008. 1:49 PMSamsquanch says:

I'm floored that is friggin' brilliant idea. You have to post the instructions on how to build that.

Aug 31, 2008. 11:26 AMdjabby says:

You are a genius, your buddy needs a lot of practice on his return of serve. ;-) Good stuff dude!

Aug 13, 2008. 5:49 PMtron1o7 says:

That is really cool im just sad because theres no instructions on how to make it.

Aug 6, 2008. 7:38 PMnf_x20 says:

aw too bad there are no directions on how to make this

Jun 26, 2008. 10:58 PMNkevin90 says:

brilliant!

Jun 23, 2008. 8:08 AMKatie27 says:

That's very interesting how you came up with this!

Jun 18, 2008. 4:57 PMfinfan7 says:

this isn't an instructable... but it is cool. I am torn.

Jun 18, 2008. 7:38 PMAar000n3y says:

No, it's not an instructable. It's a video. Videos on Instructables show off a project, it doesn't have to describe how to make it.

Jun 20, 2008. 5:51 PMfinfan7 says:

Things like this remind me of my desire for a www.completeables.com so that people could separate their demos from their instructions.

Jun 18, 2008. 6:41 PMbaken411 says:

nicely thought out and on a trailer too it's kind of weird though, the original inventor of the tennis ball launcher lives two houses up from me. lol

Jun 19, 2008. 7:45 AM

engineerable (author) says:

Awesome! I didn't think the tennis ball launcher was that recent an invention. You should show them this video, I would be honored!

Jun 19, 2008. 4:33 AM

Plasmana says:

Wow! I really like that tennis ball launcher! What a green way of shooting the balls and you get exercise too! 5/5 raring :-)

Jun 18, 2008. 9:55 PMThornburg says:

This is a great Instructable, great video.

Jun 18, 2008. 9:56 PMThornburg says:

Although I really just meant great video, because this really isn't an Instructable. Not trying to pick on you or anything.

Jun 18, 2008. 3:50 PMshooby says:

While this doesn't give a good idea at all of how to build it, the concept is amazing, and the whole thing looks really well engineered. Awesome.

Jun 18, 2008. 4:19 PM

engineerable (author) says:

This was originally created for a pedal powered machine contest, so unfortunately I didn't take the time to document the build process. The mechanics are simple, but the construction was very involved. Thanks, I love engineering cool stuff.

Jun 18, 2008. 9:07 PMandrew_29 says:

nice bike cool instructable too

Jun 18, 2008. 7:55 PM4airtime says:

try hooking the velcro strap to the rear of the front tire, behind the steering axis. This should give you currect steering of the ball. May have to shorten the cable, it's hard to see the mechanism in the video... Great idea!!!

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