Date of Award

6-2026

Document Type

Thesis

Publisher

Santa Clara : Santa Clara University, 2026

Department

Mechanical Engineering

First Advisor

Jun Wang

Second Advisor

Hannah Yang

Abstract

Table Tennis is an extremely popular sport worldwide, boasting an extensive market. However, it is a sport that generally requires other people to both play and practice with. The goal of this project was to create a machine that would serve table tennis balls for the purpose of individual practice. The machine was meant to fill the niche that other machines of the same type filled by allowing individuals to practice on their own without the assistance of another player or a coach. The main goal of the project was to offer a market competitive device, sharing the same basic functionality, available at a lower price point than current market products. The current market prices range from $300 to $2000, so the goal market price for this machine is about $250. From customer surveys, all expressed the feeling that the current machines were too expensive. The final product uses three flywheels to launch the balls, and is powered by a 24 V battery, with three 24 V brushless DC motors, and is controlled by an Arduino and three brushless motor drivers. It was then proven that the main functionality of the system: power, control, feed, and launching, met the minimum functionality necessary for the entire prototype to work. Therefore, the project succeeded in creating a minimally functional proof of concept prototype that with future work could become a fully viable product. Future work is necessary for the prototype to both increase the functionality and the safety features.

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