Mini Bowling Alley

ETHAN CHIA 1SB3

Aim/Objective

• Bringing the sport of bowling right into the house with a new level of realism.

Target Audience

• Mainly Children• Actual Bowlers who still want their dose of the

sport at home.

Why The Need?

• Accurate modelling of bowling as a “toy”.• Automation always catches the eye.• It makes such a “toy” more engaging and

interesting for young children.

Design Of The Set

• Mainly revolves around how an actual bowling lane looks and how an actual pinsetter operates.

• Model the set close as possible to the actual conditions to get back the same pin physics I can get on actual lanes.

Main Features (as per actual conditions)• Proper bowling lane.• Accurate placement of lane markings.• Gutters by the side to collect errant balls• Non-electric mechanism to separate fallen

pins and ball. (will elaborate more later)• A ball return system.

Past Designs

2010 (1st Gen)

2011(2nd Gen)

2012(3rd Gen)

Design Improvements OvertimeEngineering Aspect• Longer lane for ball to gain more momentum.• Tweaking the lane width for more accurate pin

spacing• Smoother lane surface.Aesthetics Aspect• Colour combination for various

parts/structures of the lane.• Overall look and feel of the set. Boxy > More

Sleek/Streamlined.

Current Design (2013 4th Gen)• All improvements as

mentioned in previous slide have been incorporated into this current prototype.

• Dimensions (L x B x H): 95 x 28.5 x 16

• Lane Length: 75 cm• Custom designed based on

bowling pins and ball dimension.

Come to the front for a closer look!

Actual Working Of A Pinsetter

Image From: USBC Equipment & Specifications Manual (July 2015)http://usbcongress.http.internapcdn.net/usbcongress/bowl/equipandspecs/pdfs/ESManual.pdf

Mechanism To Separate Ball And Pins

BARRIER/CUSHION

PIN CURTAIN

PINDECK

Pins are small enough to roll through this gap

Ball is too big to fit through gap hence it rolls to the side to the ball return ramp

PIT

Areas For Further Improvement• Ball may rebound back onto the lane at times. • Pin and ball may get stuck behind.• Need to review pit area design and cushion to

absorb ball impact more effectively and to avoid clash of fallen pin and ball by the side.

In The Long Term

• Still hope to incorporate full automation with an actual mini pinsetter with an inbuilt scoring system software.

• No knowledge and experience in microelectronics/programming currently. Plan learn in future at higher academic levels and expand my knowledge into Physics.

• Perfect if I can get the commercial pinsetter companies like AMF/Brunswick/Switch on-board this.

Thank You