An Improved Portable Shuttlecock Launcher for Training Purposes

Abstract

In this paper a wireless shuttlecock launcher system is designed and fabricated to help badminton athlete and coach improve their training session. The shuttlecock launcher system have three main parts which are the automated shuttlecock launcher, switching from short shot and long shot type of training can be made effortlessly. The feeder is designed to store a minimum of 10 shuttlecocks at a time, and it can feed individual shuttlecock into the launcher in sequence. The wireless controller system consists of an Arduino Uno and an ESP32 module that controls the shuttlecock launcher wirelessly. The Uno's main task is to control the servo motors, while the ESP32 module is used to communicate wirelessly with the Blynk smartphone app. The Blynk app will generate a trigger signal for the shuttlecock launcher. Both microcontrollers the Arduino Uno and the ESP32 module is programmed using Arduino IDE. The hardware actuators combined with the software instructions help realize the shuttlecock launcher with wireless control system. Note that the trajectory of the shuttlecock launcher needs to be calibrated first in order to guarantee a high level of reliability and performance of the shuttlecock launcher.

Designing an Automated Badminton Shuttlecock Launcher to Enhance the Athletic Performance of Badminton Players

“…Feeding the shuttlecock by the coach is very important in improving the ability of badminton athletes. Harun et al (2020) stated that badminton coaches require high accuracy, consistency, and efficiency in feeding the shuttlecock, thus requiring more training duration than necessary. The badminton coach's ability to feed at a stable and constant speed and angle or direction will be difficult if done for a long period (Kurniawan & Sukardi, 2023).…”