Design Requirements:

• Create an automated golf ball dispenser for practice that costs under $100

• Dispenser must release the next ball within 8 seconds of the previous one being removed

• Entire system driven by 1 stepper motor

Design Process:

• Ideation was a large part of the design of this system - How to release only one ball at a time?

  • Settled on CAM-actuated sliding doors on linear bearings

• Design was then modelled in SolidWorks and revised as testing continued

• Arduino was used to control stepper motor rotations based on ultrasonic sensor feedback

Structural Analysis:

• Trapdoor posts were stress-simulated in Ansys Mechanical

  • Loading was determined by the expected number of balls at the designated angle with a safety factor applied

• SolidWorks topology optimization was used to mass-optimize CAM lobes, reducing torque on motor 

Manufacturing Considerations:

• Fabricated through 3D printing out of PLA

• DFA

Testing/Validation:

• Testing revealed that the vertical doors would bind to the posts since they are being externally driven at an angle

  • Counterweights were added to the end of the lifting flanges to counteract this

This project taught me the importance of prototyping and iteration. I spent too much time polishing up the first revision that I did not leave time to iterate. Although the device meets its requirements, many of the fit, alignment, and aesthetic issues could have easily been resolved with 1 or 2 more iterations, creating a far more polished product.