Rule-Based Control Application on Multimode Cricket Bowling Machine

Abstract

This paper presents the application of rule-based control on the multimode cricket bowling machine to create varying bowling deliveries. Rule-based control on the machine allows an easier imitation of the different deliveries utilized by the real cricket bowlers. This was achieved by studying the kinematic properties of the cricket bowling and designing the rule base to achieve the required trajectory. The corresponding rules had three inputs namely ball speed, side spin, and length whereas the outputs were motor rotational speed, motor rotational direction, and motor base orientation. The investigated rules were divided into two major groups; without-ball spin rules and with-ball spin rules. The first group was physically experimented and compared with simulation results via the ball’s trajectory mathematical model whereas the later was only simulated. Both results showed the effect of the rules on the ball trajectories where there was good coherence with the kinematic data obtained from the bowling deliveries. However, the effect of the ball spin rules was relatively small in terms of magnitude due to the lower ball rotational velocity. Thus, improving the machine’s capability by applying higher ball rotational velocity would augment the effect of the rules.