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Robot Throws First Pitch At Phillies Game

Posted by samzenpus on from the mecha-casey-at-bat dept.

RedEaredSlider writes "The first ball at the Phillies-Brewers game will get thrown by a robot — but Roy Halladay's job is still safe. As part of an outreach program and the Phillies' 'Science Day At The Ballpark,' the University of Pennsylvania's School of Engineering and Applied Science is showcasing a robot made from a Segway and featuring an arm that acts more like a human throwing than an ordinary pitching machine. A pitching machine functions more like a gun, firing a baseball in what amounts to a straight line. But the robot has an armature connected to a hand that was specifically designed for throwing. Another thing the robot can do is identify the strike zone."

66 of 92 comments (clear)

  1. Hrmmm... by mirix · · Score: 4, Funny

    baseball

    robot

    not Japan

    Interesting...

    --
    Sent from my PDP-11
    1. Re:Hrmmm... by donotlizard · · Score: 1

      Booing a robot is so abstract.

    2. Re:Hrmmm... by WrongSizeGlass · · Score: 2

      The Twilight Zone did it back in 1960.

    3. Re:Hrmmm... by davester666 · · Score: 1

      Why exactly do we need an outreach program for robots?

      Are they feeling alienated or excluded from general society in some way?

      If so, might I suggest that instead of trying to make them smarter and follow the 3 laws of robotics, or something like them, we pack C4 around the CPU of each robot so when they go berserk, we can remotely destroy their CPU.

      I hope this will help put down the coming robot revolt.

      --
      Sleep your way to a whiter smile...date a dentist!
    4. Re:Hrmmm... by homejapan · · Score: 1

      baseball

      robot

      not Japan

      Interesting...

      Considering that the "robots = Japan" meme is bogus, there's no surprise at all.

    5. Re:Hrmmm... by KillAllNazis · · Score: 1

      Sudden increase in roadside IEDs, mailbombs...

    6. Re:Hrmmm... by Phoghat · · Score: 1

      But "The Twilight Zone" has done pretty much EVERYTHING before. Robot pitchers, robot boxers, robot nannies, etc. ad infinitum.

      --
      Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that.
  2. Pitching machine by vawwyakr · · Score: 4, Interesting

    So traditional pitching machines that have thrown balls just fine and are more efficient at doing so don't count? The funny thing is this is still just a purpose built arm that throws a ball sort of like a human, it can't do anything useful or anything else at all for that matter. Call me when a robot can walk out on the field and throw a ball after it finished driving itself to the ball park.

    1. Re:Pitching machine by nschubach · · Score: 1

      So traditional pitching machines that have thrown balls just fine and are more efficient at doing so don't count?

      My thoughts exactly...

      I went to the article expecting to see a robot walk out on the field and/or standing on it's own and throw a pitch to the strike zone.

      --
      Every time I start to have faith in humanity, I ruin it by driving to work between 7 and 8 am.
    2. Re:Pitching machine by vawwyakr · · Score: 1

      If this thing could do anything other than throw a ball...like say write with a pencil or type on a keyboard then I would say this thing has a point.

    3. Re:Pitching machine by nschubach · · Score: 1

      Wheel/tread based systems have many less points of failure, require less resources to maintain balance, and are generally more stable. They can also be designed to navigate obstacles with minimal energy for balance.

      Or throw a ball across the plate. As you stated, wheels can be far less prone to failure and they've been using wheels to propel balls across plates for years.

      This robot was clearly designed to throw balls (with a Lacrosse like attachment on the end of the arm... or what were those toys that had the long scoop like throwing tool with a ball?), but it does it in the most inefficient way. It has no hands.

      --
      Every time I start to have faith in humanity, I ruin it by driving to work between 7 and 8 am.
    4. Re:Pitching machine by NekSnappa · · Score: 1

      It was actually more like a Jai-alai glove.

      --
      I want to shoot the messenger!
    5. Re:Pitching machine by nschubach · · Score: 1

      Yeah, I couldn't remember the name of that sport and the quick search I did didn't help me out.

      --
      Every time I start to have faith in humanity, I ruin it by driving to work between 7 and 8 am.
    6. Re:Pitching machine by An+ominous+Cow+art · · Score: 1

      I think it's be interesting if the machine could throw various types of pitches - sliders, curveballs,knuckleballs, etc. That would probably require a more handlike gripper.

    7. Re:Pitching machine by treeves · · Score: 1

      To make it more lame, of course.

      --
      ...the future crusty old bastards are already drinking the Kool-Aid.
    8. Re:Pitching machine by sjames · · Score: 1

      They don't really, no. They cannot throw a breaking ball. Practice with the machine until you can hit a home run with every single ball and then go face a real pitcher. He will embarrass you every time. He'll do that through a combination of aerodynamic effects from spinning the ball and by tricking you into thinking he threw it faster or slower than he actually did. A proper arm robot has some chance of managing that.

      Of course, the robot still won't be able to choose pitches strategically based on sizing up the batter.

    9. Re:Pitching machine by sjames · · Score: 1

      replying to self, I just watched the video, and that robot will never strike anyone out.

      Oh well.

  3. No, make robot football players. by olsmeister · · Score: 1

    That way, we might get to see a few NFL games this fall. (and not one that looks like that dorky Fox NFL robot)

    1. Re:No, make robot football players. by antifoidulus · · Score: 1

      We already have robots that can play football

      --
      Monstar L
  4. Prior art? by Formalin · · Score: 1

    First thing that came to mind: Base Wars

    (I thought it was a horrible game, but I had a friend that played it far too much)

    Set in a 24th century wherein baseball team owners have grown tired of paying outrageous player salaries, they decide to replace their rosters with robots.

    Not a bad idea, really...

  5. It throws like a girl... by Doogman · · Score: 1

    And the crowd rightfully booed. News for Nerds? Not... http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/04/20/robot-throw-first-pitch-phillies_n_851732.html

    1. Re:It throws like a girl... by AndersOSU · · Score: 2

      Philadelphia fans ...
      They boo Santa Claus

      But I'll admit, that was a pretty sad pitch.

      Plus high standards at Citizen's Bank Park

  6. Video by buttersnout · · Score: 1, Informative

    Here's a video http://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/blogs/philthy-stuff/PhillieBot_Throws_First_Pitch_Philadelphia-120319864.html

    1. Re:Video by buttersnout · · Score: 1

      Here's another link. It was booed and it appears the news people hate it http://abclocal.go.com/wpvi/video?id=8085002

  7. Oh, great. by Black+Parrot · · Score: 5, Funny

    Now we're replacing politicians with soulless automatons?

    --
    Sheesh, evil *and* a jerk. -- Jade
    1. Re:Oh, great. by MokuMokuRyoushi · · Score: 2

      Now we're replacing soulless automatons with soulless automatons?

      FTFY.

      --
      Humans are terrible replicators of Godly things.
    2. Re:Oh, great. by XxtraLarGe · · Score: 1

      I was about to make some joke about how the robot did a better job than Barack Obama did last year, but it turned out to not be the case. Obama's pitch wasn't anywhere near the strike-zone, but at least he made it to the plate. Although when it comes to throwing out the first pitch, Barack Obama is not George W. Bush. I did not vote for either one of them, just giving credit where credit is due.

      --
      Taking guns away from the 99% gives the 1% 100% of the power.
    3. Re:Oh, great. by treeves · · Score: 1

      But robots are not greedy, deceptive, addiction-prone and power-hungry. Thus it is a major upgrade.

      --
      ...the future crusty old bastards are already drinking the Kool-Aid.
    4. Re:Oh, great. by treeves · · Score: 1

      Couldn't have been worse than when we went bowling somewhere in the midwest during his election campaign. I think he bowled a game in the 50s or 60s. It's hard to do that badly.

      --
      ...the future crusty old bastards are already drinking the Kool-Aid.
    5. Re:Oh, great. by treeves · · Score: 1

      "we went bowling" should have been "he went bowling".

      --
      ...the future crusty old bastards are already drinking the Kool-Aid.
  8. like a human ? you mean like a trebuchet ? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Insightful

    This does not attempt to throw like a human. Watch the video.

    Science day yields a trebuchet with a remote control.

    1. Re:like a human ? you mean like a trebuchet ? by Dominare · · Score: 1

      Yes, but it still threw a slightly better pitch than Mariah Carey, so that was alright.

    2. Re:like a human ? you mean like a trebuchet ? by Vectronic · · Score: 1

      Slightly indeed... although the Mariah Carey is a bit more advanced, since it only needs to be guided by men in giant costumes, not directly controlled.

  9. The Replicants by cosm · · Score: 1

    Next I hope they replace the players with robots. And then they could replace the umpires as well. And then they could replace the sportscasters. I am pretty sure all of those jobs could be performed by autonomous machines.

    Then replace the audience with robots.

    And then nuke the whole ensemble from orbit, and our baseball problem will be solved!

    Oh..whats that you say...it wasn't a problem...?...I just really despise this sport. I am pretty sure you could write baseball AI in a couple lines.

    while(FansNotBored)
    {
    If (IHaveBall)
    ThrowBall();
    else
    StandStill();
    }

    --
    'We are trying to prove ourselves wrong as quickly as possible, because only in that way can we find progress.' RPF
    1. Re:The Replicants by by+(1706743) · · Score: 1

      ...I just really despise this sport. I am pretty sure you could write baseball AI in a couple lines. while(FansNotBored)
      {
      If (IHaveBall)
      ThrowBall();
      else
      StandStill();
      }

      If baseball is so easy, then why are you posting on /. instead of, oh I don't know, raking in millions of dollars with the Yankees?

      And in case you claim that human's aren't fast enough to efficiently execute your algorithm, I think that's rubbish: Evaluating whether or not the fans are bored can be easily checked by just having your coach yell at you (a callback method, if you will...nyuk nyuk). Evaluating whether or not you have the ball is trivial. Throwing the ball takes no arguments, and I assume you're a sophisticated enough coder to avoid excessive globals. Assuming you're decently coordinated, you should be able to throw the ball several hundred feet which, if you're playing infield, shouldn't be a problem. And standing still is, of course, trivial.

      Just because you don't understand the game doesn't make it trivial. I realize your comment was somewhat in jest, but I find such animosity towards something which causes you no harm rather, well, silly (kind of like this reply). I mean, to the untrained eye, a programmer does the following:

      while (atWork) {
      if (butt_itches) scratchIt();
      if (now() - most_recent_burp > fifteen_minutes) drinkSoda();
      swearAtComputer();
      if (feelingUnderweight) orderPizza();
      }

    2. Re:The Replicants by PPH · · Score: 1

      You'll need to add an interrupt handler to call ScratchMyBalls() occasionally or this won't replace human pitchers.

      --
      Have gnu, will travel.
    3. Re:The Replicants by cosm · · Score: 2

      Twas satire, but your contention raises valid points. It is a very difficult sport, and I apologize if I offended any players. Those offended will have plenty of time to reflect over these comments during each inning and between lulls in the action.

      --
      'We are trying to prove ourselves wrong as quickly as possible, because only in that way can we find progress.' RPF
    4. Re:The Replicants by Culture20 · · Score: 1

      You forgot const Boolean FansNotBored=false;
      while !(*FansNotBuzzed)
      {servebeer(FansNotBuzzed);
      }

  10. Youtube link by zanian · · Score: 4, Informative

    video was unavailable. This worked though:

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ShId-vZ-ZEY

    1. Re:Youtube link by moonbender · · Score: 1

      Well that was hopefully the lamest thing I'll see all day.

      --
      Switch back to Slashdot's D1 system.
    2. Re:Youtube link by zanian · · Score: 1

      Well that was hopefully the lamest thing I'll see all day.

      ya, I hesitated posting the link.

  11. Blernsball by uofitorn · · Score: 1

    Boring? Baseball wasn't... hmm, so they finally jazzed it up? Multiball! http://theinfosphere.org/Blernsball

    --
    "What kind of music do pirates listen to?" -Paul Maud'dib
    "Yeeeaaarrrrr n' Bee!!" -Stilgar, Leader of Sietch Tabr
  12. the 3rd wheel? by societyofrobots · · Score: 1

    I like how they used a Segway, then added a 3rd wheel to it.

    1. Re:the 3rd wheel? by MightyYar · · Score: 1

      In the Ivy League, they call the training wheel "daddy".

      --
      W..w..W - Willy Waterloo washes Warren Wiggins who is washing Waldo Woo.
  13. Identify the strike zone? by imadork · · Score: 1

    That makes him better than all the Mets human pitchers. They should sign him!

    - sad Mets fan

    1. Re:Identify the strike zone? by WuphonsReach · · Score: 1

      Fellow sad Mets fan.

      I was at the Thursday double-header the other week and was highly amused by the fan attempting to start a "Bernie Madoff" chant.

      Maybe the Wilpons will be forced to sell...

      --
      Wolde you bothe eate your cake, and have your cake?
  14. The Doc by SlashJoel · · Score: 1

    Seriously, though...Roy Halladay is a machine!

    1. Re:The Doc by Krau+Ming · · Score: 1

      but he has flesh and blood over top of the robot skeleton...that's more like a terminator...

  15. Story/Video was better yesterday by jeko · · Score: 1

    "Cannon throws first pitch at game; Catcher still in critical condition."

    --
    He put his boots up on the table and made a face. "The sig," he smirked. "You can waste your life in search of the sig."
  16. Hmmm! by b4upoo · · Score: 3

    Way back in 1959 I worked as a teen in a batting cage. The machines actually did throw much as a human does with an elbow and forearm type of mechanism. It was very realistic as no two balls would ever leave the gutter shaped hand the same way due to starting with the balls laces in different positions. So you could get dusted off or even hit by a ball and curves and balls slightly high or low were also thrown. We had three machines. One was little league speed. One for minor league and the final machine was set up to act like a pro pitcher in the world series. Actually I believe that machine was throwing just a bit faster than any pro pitcher could throw although it was supposedly identical to a hot, fast ball. That machine was actually a bit frightening. A mistake in that cage just might get you hurt. The New York Yankees team members used to drop by and smack balls around. They really do hit balls further than normal people can. I know as I was the kid that had to pick up the balls and we had a full size ball field to cover. At night it took some skill not to be slaughtered by a line drive while gathering balls. Keep in mind that there were three batters firing at me. Those days were pre OSHA and I suppose I was taking on a serious risk. Life was different back then.

  17. Bender by residieu · · Score: 1

    Oh, and I suppose pitch-o-mat 5000 was just a modified howitzer.

  18. Ran out of time? by pz · · Score: 1

    It's great that the Phillies sponsored a Science Day at the ballpark.

    And the robot is a pretty cool part of that -- but given that the pitch didn't get even close to being over the plate, I wonder if the students working on the project ran out of time to get things working well for the demo?

    --

    Put my fist through my alarm clock with its ding-dong death inside my ear. - The Blackjacks.
    1. Re:Ran out of time? by Beezlebub33 · · Score: 1

      No, the pitch could have been much, much faster. If they had a real catcher there, it would have made sense for them to send one in there pretty fast. But they had the stupid mascot there, who can't see very well, and so had to dial it down. See discussion at PCMag. There are numerous arm pitching machines that can throw ~100 mpg, though not as many as the wheel-based ones.

      --
      The more people I meet, the better I like my dog.
  19. What?!?! by Troke · · Score: 1

    Now we allow them to throw projectiles?!?! Looks like I'll be purchasing my EMP weapon earlier than I thought.

  20. and so it begins by TheRealQuestor · · Score: 1

    1st they learn to toss a ball, next thing you know they are tossing nukes. This can not end well.

  21. Pfffft by Tablizer · · Score: 1

    throws like a girl robot

    --
    Table-ized A.I.
  22. Sure, but... by Digital+Vomit · · Score: 1

    Robot Throws First Pitch At Phillies Game

    Sure, but can it love?

    --
    Modern copyright is theft of culture from everyone and it retards the progress of the useful arts and sciences.
  23. Re:Wow, somebody finally found a use for a Segway! by Miseph · · Score: 1

    And Gob Bluth.

    --
    Try not to take me more seriously than I take myself.
  24. Obligatory Geoff by ewe2 · · Score: 1

    Balls!

    --
    insecurity asks the wrong question irritation gives the wrong answer
  25. Am I... by keith_nt4 · · Score: 1

    the only one who only thought of the "modified howitzer" line in the one futurama episode?

    --
    "UNIX is very simple, it just needs a genius to understand its simplicity." -Dennis Ritchie
  26. You don't have ball throwing machines? by MichaelSmith · · Score: 1

    The local cricket club has a machine for pitching cricket balls. You drop a ball in a hole at the back and it flies out a hole on the other side. I assume it gets squished between two rotating wheels. Don't they use these in base ball?

    --
    http://michaelsmith.id.au
    1. Re:You don't have ball throwing machines? by kannibal_klown · · Score: 1

      The local cricket club has a machine for pitching cricket balls. You drop a ball in a hole at the back and it flies out a hole on the other side. I assume it gets squished between two rotating wheels. Don't they use these in base ball?

      We do, but as mentioned in the summary this was supposedly more like an arm throwing a ball that a gun-type device firing a ball.

      Same result, but 2 different ways going about it.

      The gun-type device (that we use for batting practice) is probably more efficient and easier to fix / maintain.

      This is closer to what a thrown ball behaves and I guess serves as a decent little experiment in trying to replicate human actions in similar ways. The wind-up, the pitch, trying to hit the strike zone, etc. In the end it's not *that* fascinating, but it's still "news for nerds."

      Next stop: SkyNet and a bunch of Terminators running around throwing baseballs.

    2. Re:You don't have ball throwing machines? by MichaelSmith · · Score: 1

      Cricket balls would do more damage ;)

      --
      http://michaelsmith.id.au
  27. I guess... by CTU · · Score: 1

    I have been playing to much portal 2 as when I first read the summery I read "Applied Science" as "Aperture Science"
    but the idea of using a robot was interesting...how soon till we have a robot baseball league?

  28. Meh by Gerocrack · · Score: 1

    Now, if the title was "Robot Throws First PUNCH At Phillies Game", we'd have a real story on our hands.

  29. Meh by sevenbit · · Score: 1

    Cool