A main body of a ball collecting and discharging machine includes a traveling portion and a ball collecting and discharging portion to collect and discharge balls. A controller causes the ball collecting and discharging portion to collect the balls scattered in a ball scattered area while causing the traveling portion to cause the main body to travel along a ball collecting route in the ball scattered area. When the ball collecting and discharging portion reaches a state of being ready to discharge balls during or after ball collecting work, the controller causes the traveling portion to cause the main body to travel along the ball discharging route and causes the ball collecting and discharging portion to discharge balls at the ball discharging site.

A ball picking robot and a ball unloading method using the same. The ball picking robot includes a chassis, an L-shaped hanging lug, a ball storage frame, an electric push rod disposed on the chassis, a baffle disposed on the chassis, a bracket disposed on the chassis and a drive motor for driving the electric push rod to move. A movable end of the electric push rod is connected with one end of the L-shaped hanging lug, the other end of the L-shaped hanging lug is connected with a side of the ball storage frame, and a camera is disposed on the bracket.

A remote-controlled retriever for collecting a ball on a sports playing surface and for controllably releasing the ball includes a front end ball collector having two spaced-apart blades defining a ball collection space. Each blade includes a passive or an active detent for retaining the collected ball in the collection space until a programmed or manually-directed release toward a target location such as a tennis baseline. The retriever includes a processor-controller for controlling and directing the retriever during a retrieval session.

Systems, methods, and computer-readable media are disclosed for autonomous tennis ball retrieval robots. Example robots include a housing comprising a ball inlet, a first wheel coupled to the housing, a ball collection portion coupled to the housing and configured to receive a plurality of balls, a first arm and a second arm removably coupled to the housing, where the first arm and the second arm together guide balls towards the ball inlet, a ball direction device configured to direct balls from the ball inlet to the ball collection portion, and a first sensor coupled to the first arm, where the autonomous tennis ball retrieval robot is configured to detect obstacles using the first sensor. The autonomous tennis ball retrieval robot may be configured to retrieve balls disposed in an ambient environment, and may be configured to be transported in a rolling mode using the first wheel.

Systems, methods, and computer-readable media are disclosed for autonomous tennis assistant systems. Example methods include determining, by a device, an outer boundary line of a tennis court, generating a digital representation of the tennis court using the outer boundary line, where the digital representation includes at least a portion of an out-of-bounds area adjacent to the outer boundary line, determining a first location of a first tennis ball, and causing a tennis ball retrieval robot to move to the first location to retrieve the first tennis ball, where the tennis ball retrieval robot is wirelessly connected to the device.

Systems, methods, and computer-readable media are disclosed for autonomous tennis assistant systems having autonomous ball machines such as an autonomous and interactive tennis ball ejection robot. Example methods include determining, by a device, the position of a first player on a tennis court, determining a first target location for a first tennis ball to be ejected toward the first player, generating a trajectory for the first tennis ball to reach the first target location, and causing ejection of the first tennis ball from the tennis ball ejection robot along the generated trajectory toward the first target location. A base station may be used to provide image data for use by the tennis ball ejection robot from one or more additional vantage points.

A ball collecting system includes a picker, and a pit configured to enable balls discharged from the picker to be collected in a ball-collecting space. At least one basket whose upper part is open is disposed in the ball-collecting space to allow the discharged balls to be dropped and stored in the basket. The ball-collecting space is configured such that one end thereof in a horizontal direction is formed as an open zone, to allow the basket to be taken out from the ball-collecting space through the open zone.

Provided is a ball collecting drum, which is configured to roll on a surface to collect a plurality of balls on the surface. The ball collecting drum includes: a plurality of discs; an annular multi-row groove including annular grooves formed between adjacent discs of the plurality of discs. Ball pockets formed, on an outer periphery of the plurality of discs in the annular groove formed between the adjacent plurality of discs have elasticity to allow entry and exit of a ball, and are continuously formed in each of the annular grooves. Each of the ball pockets has a size so that only one ball is allowed to be held therein. The ball pockets formed in the adjacent annular grooves are formed at positions deviated from each other in a circumferential direction of the annular grooves.

There is provided a dispersed object collection apparatus including an electric machine configured to run by itself along a set running route is an activity area. The machine is caused to start from a collection place and run by itself is a set working area to accommodate dispersed objects dispersed in the working area into an accommodation section provided in or outside the machine and collect the dispersed objects is the collection place. The working area is set as a closed region along outer edges of the dispersed objects in an aggregation region in which a plurality of dispersed objects are close together.

A system for delivering balls to each of two players playing on opposite sides of a field includes a remote control unit worn or placed on each of the two players, each remote control unit configured, upon activation of a particular player, to transmit a wireless signal that identifies a location of the particular player. A ball pitching machine includes a housing configured to receive and hold the balls, at least one wheel, a ball shooting mechanism that receives the balls and shoots one of the balls at a time; and a controller that includes a position-locator, the controller configured to receive and process the signal, direct positioning of the ball shooting mechanism so as to face the player that sent the signal and shoot one of the balls in a direction of the player's position, in accordance with the signal received from the remote control unit.