Bandung, Indonesia Sentinel — Tennibot, a tech startup based in Auburn, Alabama, developed a revolutionary solution, an autonomous robot designed to collect tennis balls. Claimed to be the only autonomous tennis assistant, Tennibot was designed to address a universal issue in tennis for players of all levels “picking up tennis ball”
Founded in 2016, Tennibot was the brainchild of Haitham Eletrabi, an entrepreneur and avid tennis player who experienced firsthand the frustrations of spending more time retrieving tennis balls than practicing his game. The concept was born out of a simple yet persistent problem that tennis players and coaches encounter daily, its to keep the court clear of balls without interrupting training.
Picking up tennis balls after practice could be exhausting and time-consuming. This process not only breaks the flow of training but also reduces the efficiency of practice sessions. Traditional ball hoppers help, but they still require manual effort and can slow down the pace of a session. Tennibot automates this process, allowing players to focus on their game without worrying about cleanup.
The Birth of an Idea
The idea for Tennibot came about during Eletrabi’s own tennis practice sessions at Auburn University. Frustrated by the constant interruptions caused by picking up balls, he realized there had to be a more efficient way to handle the task. That was when Eletrabi was introduced to Lincoln, a robotics & computer vision guru. Drawing on the background in engineering and robotics, the two of them began developing Tennibot, a device that could autonomously solve a problem faced by millions of tennis players worldwide.
How Tennibot Works
Tennibot operates autonomously using advanced sensors, computer vision, and AI machine learning to identify and collect tennis balls. The robot roams the court on its own, moving in a pre-set path or following random patterns, depending on user preferences. Equipped with a camera and sensors, Tennibot can detect tennis balls scattered around the court and scoop them up, storing them in its onboard bin.
Players or coaches can control Tennibot using a mobile app, which allows them to set the robot’s movement patterns, monitor battery life, or even choose specific areas of the court for it to focus on. Once the bin is full, Tennibot can be emptied manually, and the process can begin again. Its intuitive design and user-friendly interface make it an ideal tool for anyone looking to streamline their practice sessions.
Russian Minister Urges Couples to Procreate During Work Breaks to Raise Birth Rate
The Purpose Behind Tennibot
The primary goal of Tennibot autonomous robot was to improve the efficiency of tennis training by eliminating the repetitive task of manually collecting balls. Whether you’re a professional athlete or a recreational player, having an assistant that takes care of ball retrieval lets you maximize your time on the court. For coaches, Tennibot offers the ability to manage practice more effectively, allowing them to focus on instructing rather than spending time gathering balls between drills.
Eletrabi saw this as an opportunity to bring robotics into a niche but widely-applicable area of sports, providing a solution that saves time, energy, and enhances the overall training experience.
(Raidi/Agung)
