 The Adjust-A-Putt
This project was submitted to Parallax by Patrick Nicklas
The Adjust-A-Putt is an automated putting green with a variable putting surface. It was designed by five team-members, including myself, for our EET senior project at DeVry, Columbus. Changes in the course layout depend on the player’s performance. Operation is fully automated, therefore the user only needs to worry about making the shot. Coaching and game information are also available to the user throughout game play.
The implementation of this project requires four main sections: (1) Automation and motor control software (2) Electronic hardware (3) Frame, surface, and mechanical hardware (4) Graphical user interface, and media software. With these requirements necessary for project completion, five team members possessing technical, creative, and applicable skills and experience were in very high demand. We envisioned the finished project and realized the team would desperately need this combination of skills and people power to make the Adjust-A-Putt a success. The Team Responsible for fabrication design and implementation, were Matthew Mann and Michael Mann. Both Matt and Mike engineered the structural layout and constructed all the mechanical and aesthetic features of the project. Jesse Bearce was the team leader and also used his knowledge of golf and software engineering to help develop the automation and course controlling software. Catherine Rugare was a vital asset to the team by designing the graphical user interface (GUI) and helping with the integration of it with the Basic Stamps. I served as the electronic engineer and designed the electronics and motor control software.
The Components
The four main components of the Adjust-A-Putt system and their associated functions are as follows:
- The Main Processing Unit (MPU) is responsible for maintaining a communication link between the Graphical User Interface (GUI) and the Motor Control circuitry (MCP). This component is also responsible for monitoring any photo-gates, switches, and other sensors within the design. The MPU contains one BS2 controller that performs a majority of the systems functions.
(see picture at right)
- The Graphical User Interface (GUI) is the primary means of communication between the system and the user. The GUI incorporates colorful pictures and illustration, convenient score keeping, and helpful coaching tips to provide a fun and friendly gaming experience. The GUI is displayed on a laptop computer that is connected through a 9-pin serial connector on the MPU board.
- The Motor Control Processor (MCP) is responsible for receiving course information from the Main Processing circuitry and making the appropriate adjustments to the Mechanical Automation System. After a hole number is provided by the MPU, the MCP activates the appropriate motor and monitors the motor position until the pre-determined course layout has been achieved. The MCP consists primarily of relays, a mux, and a BS2 controller. (see
picture at right)
- The Mechanical Automation Hardware consists of a series of three motors. Each motor is attached to a shaft. Attached to each shaft are 3 disks that rotate to create varying terrain features. The position of each shaft is monitored by a group of switches that provide information back to the MCP. A ball return, comprised of an auger-style tube, returns the balls as they are putted into the hole and feeds them back to the user.
 The brains of the Adjust-A-Putt system are two BS2 ICs. I chose the Basic Stamp due to its extraordinary ease of program development and it’s superior flexibility and reliability. The MPU and MCP each contain one Stamp and talk to one another to control all aspects of game-play. Scope As the player starts his or her game, the GUI gives the player instructions or advice on what to do. The ball return is activated and brings a ball out to the player. Once the player hits the ball, the ball breaks the laser beam, sending a signal to the MPU. The MPU then waits for the shot to enter the hole or not enter the hole. The Stamp will take the information provided from the inputs to determine the next course setting.
 The level of difficulty depends on the individual’s skills and ability as a putter. Detailed Description The heart of the putting green is the MPU. This component interfaces with the GUI program, the motor control processor, and sensors, to collect enough data to determine the next course of action for the putting green. Let’s continue with the internal software flow of the main processor. The MPU Basic Stamp holds 16 different subroutines used to create 16 different holes. The game allows the player to use 9 of the 16 holes per game. The processor monitors the player’s performance between holes with the use of two inputs. The first is the laser sensor placed at the beginning of the green. This circuit remains TTL logic low until a ball is putted across the beam. The Stamp software uses this input to determine when the player takes a shot. The next process involves a second input located inside the cup. The software checks for a logic high at this point for four seconds. If no logic high is present, the software determines that the shot missed the hole and continues through the program based on this information. The software must make a decision at this point in the code. If the player makes the preceding shot, the program will jump ahead to a new subroutine and consequently provide the player a new and more difficult type of putting surface.
The above process is repeated this way until the player misses a shot or finishes their 9 holes. However, if the player misses a shot, the program has a few more choices to make. The first hole is flat and therefore the easiest hole. A missed shot here will repeat the hole until the player successfully makes the shot. At that point the player is ready to attempt a more challenging hole. This next hole will be a right to left breaking putt. A missed shot here jumps the program to a new but similar hole. Once here the player must make this shot before continuing to a new hole. This system discovers weaknesses in the player’s game and reinforces the skills necessary to make that type of shot.
 Additional Notes
The project turned out to be a huge success and the five of us earned a well deserved “A” for the course. The design process took an entire semester (a conservative 15 weeks). The actual construction, test and integration took an additional 15 weeks of continuous, hard, and oftentimes sleep depriving work. For our final presentation we hooked the laptop computer up to a video projector to display the score, along with appropriate golf scenery and sound effects, at the end of the course to make the game seem more captivating and interactive. All the spectators were extremely impressed and our team was needless to say, very proud. We still have the project and it’s sitting in one of our team member’s basement in Columbus, Ohio, disassembled.
We have hopes of one day resurrecting it and showing it off (we lost the source file for the MPU and the stamp, which belongs to me, has since been dedicated to another project). Any requests for additional information or more detailed descriptions are welcome. Questions and comments are encouraged to be sent to TeamAdjustAPutt@yahoo.com |