Author: lhhan

This week, I spent most of my time preparing for my Design Review Presentation. I have also been doing some research on the specific materials we will be using for the frame where we will mount our camera and projector. I have also been weighing the pros and cons of the specific projector our team will be utilizing and narrowed it down to either the Yaber V6, which is better for keystone correction, allowing for +/- 50 degrees of rotation, or the ViewSonic PA503W, which has very good low input lag. I will decide by Monday and have it ordered by Tuesday. I set up some of the Design Review Report already and will be meeting with Samuel and Kyi on Sunday (2/23) to organize and work on the report. The majority of my time in the next two weeks will be focused on the report as well as:

1. Ordering the materials for the frame
2. Building the frame
3. Helping Samuel with simulating slots and assisting with the development of the best shot algorithm

I am a bit behind schedule because I was planning to start the actual building of the frame this past week. However, since the pool table has not arrived, this has delayed my progress a bit. This week, however, I do not have much work from other classes and therefore can allocate a larger portion of my week to building the frame and working on the Design Report and best shot algorithm.

 

This week, our group focused on refining our approach to the computer vision and physics simulation components of the project. After meeting with our professor and TA, we reassessed our hardware requirements and decided that using a single-board computer, such as the Jetson Orin Nano or Raspberry Pi, is unnecessary. Instead, we will run all computer vision and physics simulation tasks on our personal computers, allowing us to prioritize algorithm development while addressing hardware needs as they arise.

Luke spent much of the week assisting with research on both the computer vision and physics simulation aspects of the project. He also worked on the Design Review presentation and Written Design Review, including drafting sketches for the mount that will hold the overhead camera above the pool table. Next week, he will begin constructing the mount and ordering the necessary parts, as the pool table is set to be delivered soon.

Kevin focused on implementing computer vision for boundary edges and pocket detection. He developed edge detection algorithms to determine the table’s physical dimensions and started working on thresholding techniques to identify pocket positions. Additionally, he researched ball detection and categorization methods for later stages of the CV pipeline, compiling useful resources for future implementation.

Samuel concentrated on the physics simulation, researching existing codebases, papers, and videos that could inform our approach. He also conducted initial benchmark testing by playing three games of 9-ball with Luke to establish a baseline for shot efficiency. Furthermore, he updated our block diagram and Gantt chart to reflect the removal of the Nvidia Jetson, as we will now directly connect the camera/LiDAR to a computer.

Overall, our team remains on schedule, and we will continue refining our design while moving into the implementation phase. Next week, we plan to begin assembling the system, conduct additional benchmark testing with the newly ordered pool table, and further develop our physics simulation and computer vision algorithms.

This week, I primarily assisted my teammates with their research on the computer vision and physics simulation components of our project. After our weekly meeting with the professor and TA, we reassessed our hardware requirements and concluded that using a single-board computer, such as the Jetson Orin Nano or Raspberry Pi, is unnecessary. Since all computer vision and physics simulation tasks can be efficiently executed on our personal computers, we decided to prioritize algorithm development and address hardware needs as they arise.

In addition, I dedicated significant time to preparing the Design Review presentation and Written Design Review. This included drafting sketches for the mount that will hold the overhead camera above our pool table.

I am currently on schedule and will continue refining our design while assisting with implementation efforts in the coming weeks. Next week, I plan to order the necessary parts and begin building the mount, as well as order the camera, since the pool table will be delivered by then. My focus will shift toward constructing the system for our project in addition to supporting implementation efforts.