Implementations described and claimed herein provide systems, apparatuses, and methods for exercising and entertaining a pet. In one implementation, a pet exercise and entertainment device includes a launch funnel for launching projectiles for a pet to retrieve. The launch funnel has a feeder and a chute. The feeder is configured to receive a projectile and transport the projectile to an intake end of the chute. A sensor is configured to sense the projectile in the intake end of the chute and to command one or more motors to power up in response to sensing the projectile. An actuator is configured to release the projectile from the intake end of the chute into the launch end of the chute after a pre-determined time has elapsed. One or more wheels, rotated by the one or more motors, are configured to launch the projectile from the launch end of the chute.

An automatic ball launcher includes a ball feed control system that includes a meter wheel with radially-spaced ribs or grooves to selectively block and pass balls to the flywheels of the launcher. The meter wheel rotates to selectively block and release a single ball to pass at a time. The controller of the launcher can be programmed to stop the meter wheel when a ball has been metered by monitoring the current at peak of the motor driving the meter wheel. A meter-event can be determined to have occurred when the current of the drive motor drops to a trough by a pre-set magnitude following a rise to a peak value. A remote control can be provided for the user to operate the launching machine and adjust a plurality of parameters.

An automated football throwing machine that includes a housing, a flexible portion, a transport portion, an activation module and a power module. The housing includes a receiving portion for receiving a football and an ejecting portion for adjustably ejecting the football. The flexible portion includes an integrated chute configured to gravity funnel a football into the receiving portion. The transport portion is configured to transport the football from the receiving portion to the ejecting portion. The activation module is configured to engage the ejecting portion to eject the football. The power module is configured to electrically power the transport portion and the activation module.

This disclosure relates to a relatively compact smart ball launching system and associated methods for using the same. In various embodiments, the disclosed ball launching system may comprise a collapsible ball hopper that can store a larger number of balls while maintaining a relatively compact size. In certain embodiments, brushless motors may be used to improve power efficiency while allowing for accurate launch speeds and/or spins. In some embodiments, a pre-launch chamber may be included in a ball dispensing mechanism that may facilitate on-demand shots and/or power savings by shutting the ball launching system down when the ball hopper is empty. In further embodiments, the ball launching system may be controlled, at least in part, via a mobile device. In some implementations, the ball launching system may include and/or otherwise interface with a camera system to facilitate improved calibration and/or record user actions.

A ball throwing machine system comprising: a housing, the housing comprising a bottom of the housing; an adjustable stand with a base, the base in operational communication with the bottom of the housing via a mechanical joint means, and wherein the housing can lockably move with respect to the base, a first ball inlet located in the housing; a first ball corridor located in the housing and in communication with the first ball inlet; a first ball outlet located in the housing and in communication with the first ball corridor and the first ball inlet; a second ball inlet located in the housing; a second ball corridor located in the housing and in communication with the second ball inlet; a second ball outlet located in the housing and in communication with the second ball corridor and the second ball inlet; a single wheel configured to rotate at user adjustable speeds, and further configured to impart spin and velocity to a ball, wherein the outer surface of the single wheel is located on the floor of the first ball corridor, and wherein the outer surface of the single wheel is located on the ceiling of the second ball corridor. A ball throwing machine comprising: a housing, the housing comprising a bottom of the housing; a first ball inlet located in the housing; a first ball corridor located in the housing and in communication with the first ball inlet; a first ball outlet located in the housing and in communication with the first ball corridor and the first ball inlet; a second ball inlet located in the housing; a second ball corridor located in the housing and in communication with the second ball inlet; a second ball outlet located in the housing and in communication with the second ball corridor and the second ball inlet; a single wheel configured to rotate at user adjustable speeds, and further configured to impart spin and velocity to a ball, wherein the outer surface of the single wheel is located on the floor of the first ball corridor, and wherein the outer surface of the single wheel is located on the ceiling of the second ball corridor and wherein the bottom of the housing is configured to moveably and lockably attach to an adjustable stand, and wherein the housing can lockably move with respect to the adjustable stand.

A ball machine comprising an imaging system to capture image data and a processor configured to, for a frame of the image data, analyze the image data using a neural network to detect a plurality of persons, determine a coordinate position on a playing surface of each of the plurality of detected persons, extract features of each of the plurality of detected persons, generate a first set of feature vectors corresponding to the plurality of detected persons, associate a first feature vector to the coordinate position on the playing surface of a first detected person to generate a first unique identifier, associate a second feature vector to the coordinate position on the playing surface of a second detected person to generate a second unique identifier, and control the ball machine to launch balls based on first settings corresponding to the first unique identifier and second settings corresponding to the second unique identifier.

A method for adaptive user training and gaming utilizing a media player is disclosed. The method includes operations of receiving, by control logic, data pertaining to selection of a first training program, transmitting, by the control logic, media instructions to cause activation of a media player configured to display visual data corresponding to the first training program, and transmitting, by the control logic, ball-throwing instructions to cause activation of a ball-throwing machine configured to impart motion to one or more balls in accordance with the first training program. The method includes additional operations of recording, by the control logic, an indication of the first training program in a player profile. Additional operations includes recording, by the control logic, training data indicating metrics associated with performance of the first training program.

Provided is a pet ball launcher, comprising an avoidance drive assembly, a ball throwing assembly, a sensor and a ball serving shell; the ball serving shell is provided with a ball storage space and a launch channel communicated with the ball storage space, and the sensor is installed at an outlet of the launch channel; an output end of the avoidance drive assembly is connected with the ball serving shell, and the ball throwing assembly is installed on the ball serving shell; and when the sensor detects that there is an obstacle in front of the launch channel, the avoidance drive assembly drives the ball serving shell to rotate by a preset angle, the ball throwing assembly throws out a to-be-thrown object from the launch channel, so that the object thrown out of the launch channel avoids the obstacle.

The tennis ball supply device according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a communication circuit configured to communicate with an external device; a launcher configured to launch a ball; a body unit configured to move the launcher; and a controller configured to: control the body unit to move to a first position, identify whether the body unit is disposed on the first position based on a signal received from the communication circuit, based on identifying that the body unit is disposed on the first position, control the launcher to launch the ball, control the body unit to move to a second position after the launcher has stopped launching the ball, and identify whether the body unit is disposed on the second position based on the signal received from the communication circuit.

Disclosed is a ball collector system. While the ball collector system can have any suitable component, in some cases it includes a trough, a backdrop that is configured to catch a ball and redirect it toward the trough, and/or a collector that is configured to collect the ball from the trough. In some cases, related methods include dampening a movement of the ball using the backdrop, changing a trajectory of the ball to direct it to the trough, moving the ball along the trough to a designated location, and/or collecting the ball from the trough using the collector. Other implementations are described.