Ball Throwing Device

Students with multiple physical and cognitive disabilities would like to participate in ball throwing activities in gym class. While there are ball throwing devices on the market, these are designed specifically for one type of ball, such as a tennis ball or baseball. These devices are also not controlled with switches that the students are able to operate. The approach taken was to design a device that could throw multiple types of balls for the students at the push of a button. A picture of the final device is shown at left. This would allow students to see a cause and effect relationship between the push of the button and the launching of the ball, allowing them to take a more active role in ball playing activities.

Impact

When introduced to the device, the students showed enjoyment at being able to throw a ball at the push of a button. The device improves the lives of the people with disabilities by increasing their ability to participate in games with their peers and giving them opportunities for more positive feedback from their fellow students. There were requests for improvements such as decreasing the weight and allowing for throwing angle adjustments. The device fulfilled the original requirements, but future work will address these new needs.

Funding

This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant No. 0079969 and/or a Research Experience for Undergraduate supplement. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.