Week 02 — Sept 14-20, 2025

Overview

Based on volleyball knowledge, training insight, and captured gameplay, the criteria, constraints, and objectives were finalized as a group.

Began to discuss implementation methods, specifically launching mechanisms, that would target the functional requirements defined. The initial calculations targeted no spin and full court coverage.

Needs Statement:

Elite volleyball players need a cost-effective, robotic setter that reliably replicates the precision, tempo, arc, and positional variation of a top-tier human setter, filling a critical gap left by current training equipment.

Individual Updates

Austin

• Helped team setup Github's education license for free Copilot Pro access
• Researching other similar devices and patents that exist on the market
• Began drafting application form for the engineer future fund
• Discussed constraints, criteria, and objectives

Grace

• Performed motor torque calculations for rotational and linear launching mechanisms
  • Found initial dimensions of lever arm and linear accelerating distance required
• Discussed constraints, criteria, and objectives

Kevin

• Contributed to criteria/constraint/objective discussion
• Provided volleyball gameplay and training insight
• Recorded reference volleyball footage for calculations
• Performed market research into existing solutions
  • Created competitors’ solutions chart
• Sketched initial mechanisms potential solutions

Vincent

• Website and repository management
  • Look into pymdownx extension to improve documentation capabilities
• Discussed constraints, criteria, and objectives
• Researched linear actuator mechanisms; required BLDC motors and reductions
• Performed market research into existing solutions
  • Created competitors’ solutions chart