High performance of two roller-type badminton machine

Abstract

Badminton shuttlecock is constructed of 16 goose feathers from a waterfowl with a hemispherical cork. The shuttlecock is light in mass (approximately 5.2g), with a highly specific air resistance. For professional badminton players, the highest initial speed of the shuttlecock by a smash shot exceeds over 80m/s, which is the fastest speed in all ball sports. Generally, it is extremely difficult to get the shuttlecock to speeds of over 30m/s with a launching machine without breaking the waterfowl feathers. In this study, a shuttlecock launching machine using two turn rollers for badminton exercises has been developed with a new launcher mechanism that includes an advanced holder device and a high rotational speed motor installed. In addition, a continuous launcher system which is able to discharge the 12 (maximum 96) shuttlecocks continuously at intervals of 1.5 seconds was designed. The results of the launching experiments using the two roller-type badminton machine show that the machine can launch the shuttlecock at mean initial speeds of up to 81.8m/s, with a maximum flight distance of over 11m. The standard deviation of the shot and lateral directions are approximately 0.34m and 0.12m, respectively. The launching performance of the badminton machine developed here has a performance far exceeding almost any commercial one, so the badminton machine can be used for harder practice by professional badminton players.