Changeup controller for ball throwing machine

摘要

Embodiments provide a ball throwing machine including a motor coupled to a rotary wheel and configured to rotate the rotary wheel at a rotational speed to throw a ball forward toward an athlete. A speed control module may be coupled to the motor and configured to rotate the rotary wheel, via the motor, at a first rotational speed during a fastball setting and a second rotational speed during a changeup setting. The speed control module may determine the second rotational speed based on the first rotational speed so that a ball thrown by the ball throwing machine will arrive in a target zone when the ball throwing machine is in the fastball setting and the changeup setting. In some embodiments, the speed control module may utilize resistive braking to transition the rotary wheel from the first rotational speed to the second rotational speed.

主权项

1. A ball throwing machine comprising:
one or more rotary wheels, all of which are disposed to simultaneously contact a ball to be thrown, the one or more rotary wheels coupled to a body portion, each rotary wheel coupled to an associated motor, the motor configured to rotate the rotary wheel at a rotational speed, the rotational speed based at least in part on a parameter of an input signal received by the motor; a feed structure coupled to the body portion and configured to receive the ball and direct the ball to an outer circumferential surface of the one or more rotary wheels, the one or more rotary wheels configured to throw the ball outwardly from the ball throwing machine toward an athlete; a speed control circuit coupled to at least one of the motors, the speed control circuit selectively switchable between a fastball setting and a changeup setting and configured to control the motor during the fastball setting to rotate the associated rotary wheel at a first rotational speed and to control the motor during the changeup setting to rotate the associated rotary wheel at a second rotational speed; wherein the speed control circuit is configured to determine the second rotational speed, using a changeup algorithm, based at least in part on the first rotational speed so that the ball will arrive at the athlete in a target zone during the fastball setting and the changeup setting without adjusting a position of the one or more rotary wheels and without adjusting a position of the feed structure; and wherein a speed difference between the first rotational speed and the second rotational speed is greater for a fastball setting associated with a relatively high speed fastball than for a fastball setting associated with a relatively low speed fastball.