Uploaded March 2023 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
The Mechanics of the Basketball Shooting Arm
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This is a short look into the though process of how to create a mechanical design from a desired output motion. I wanted to make this arm mimic the actual motion of a basketball shot. The key is in the follow through of the wrist. I started with a 4-bar linkage which is connected to the stepper motor. This moves through an inverse 4-bar linkage which is connected to a compound gear train. The 2.6 to 1 compound gear train converts the 67 degrees of motion of the upper link to the 180 degree motion of the wrist. This also created mechanical advantage, because in order to achieve the 180 degree range of motion, the scoop link has to move 2.6 times faster than the activating link.
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#mechanicalengineering #mechanicaldesign #engineering #mechanism #mechanismdesign #engineering #kineticart #basketball #basketballart
The Mechanics of the Basketball Shooting Arm
•••
This is a short look into the though process of how to create a mechanical design from a desired output motion. I wanted to make this arm mimic the actual motion of a basketball shot. The key is in the follow through of the wrist. I started with a 4-bar linkage which is connected to the stepper motor. This moves through an inverse 4-bar linkage which is connected to a compound gear train. The 2.6 to 1 compound gear train converts the 67 degrees of motion of the upper link to the 180 degree motion of the wrist. This also created mechanical advantage, because in order to achieve the 180 degree range of motion, the scoop link has to move 2.6 times faster than the activating link.
•••
#mechanicalengineering #mechanicaldesign #engineering #mechanism #mechanismdesign #engineering #kineticart #basketball #basketballart
