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Recent Projects: Recreation

Next-Generation Game Table

Team: Gregory Detwiler, Joseph Friedman, Oliver Townsend
Sponsor: Mark Lackley, Woodstock, Vt.
Advisor: Professor Peter Robbie

Furniture maker Mark Lackley sponsored the open-ended project of adding an electrical component to a high-end custom-built poker table. With his aid, we built an on-table poker chip counter that uses image processing to determine each player's total chip value. A desktop computer acquires camera images of stacks of poker chips and analyzes the image data to evaluate the color of each chip stack and the quantity of chips in each stack. The total value of each player's chips is then displayed on the LCD screen, adding to game-play smoothness and the players' ability to make rational betting decisions.

Next-Generation Game Table

Novel Baseball Bat Design

Team: Tyler McIntyre , Jonathan Meyers, Katherine Gray
Sponsor: John Gleason, Hanover, N.H.
Advisor: Professor Ron Lasky

Novel Baseball Bat Design Over the past few years, the danger of current baseball bats has been documented. This report outlines the benefits for a laminated baseball bat in addressing these problems and gives a brief overview of the basic concepts of a baseball bat-ball collision. In addition, the report looks into the properties of wood relevant to the project. The theory of the final laminated baseball bat prototype is explained and defended. The data from varying tests supporting the theory are summarized. Lastly, conclusions and final recommendations are made, should the sponsor wish to continue with the project.