Accurate, multi-axis, computer-controlled object projection machine

An object projection machine, having a front vertical plane, that projects an object to a target position with a specified initial trajectory, a specified initial velocity, and a specified initial rotation rate, the object projection machine comprising:

• a main frame;
• a flywheel housing dynamically mounted within the main frame, the flywheel housing having a projection axis that passes through the flywheel housing near the center of the flywheel housing and that intersects the front vertical plane of the object projection machine at a release point, the flywheel housing dynamically mounted within the main frame adjacent to the front vertical plane of the object projection machine so that the flywheel housing can be translated horizontally and vertically in order to position the release point at arbitrary positions on the front vertical plane of the object projection machine, so that the flywheel housing can be rotated with respect to two axes of rotation in order to orient the direction of the projection axis, and so that the flywheel housing can be rotated about the projection axis to rotationally orient the flywheel housing with respect to the projection axis;
• a number of electrical motors to provide forces to translate and rotate the flywheel housing;
• an upper flywheel comprising a disk coplanar with a plane bisecting the upper flywheel and with the projection axis, a central, cylindrical aperture orthogonal to the plane bisecting the upper flywheel, and a cylindrical outer surface bonded to a compressible circumferential belt, the upper flywheel rotatably mounted within the flywheel housing to an upper axle passing through the central, cylindrical aperture, the upper axle located above the projection axis and coupled to an upper-flywheel electrical servo motor that provides a rotational force to spin the upper flywheel about the upper axle, the upper axle perpendicular to, and above, the projection axis;
• lower flywheel comprising a disk coplanar with a plane bisecting the upper and lower flywheels and with the projection axis, a central, cylindrical aperture orthogonal to the plane bisecting the upper flywheel, and a cylindrical outer surface bonded to a compressible circumferential belt, the lower flywheel rotatably mounted within the flywheel housing to a lower axle passing through the central, cylindrical aperture, the lower axle located below the projection axis and coupled to a lower-flywheel electrical servo motor that provides a rotational force to spin the lower flywheel about the lower axle, the lower axle perpendicular to, and below, the projection axis;
• an object feeder that feeds the object along the projection axis between the upper and lower flywheels so that, when the flywheels are counter rotating in the direction of the projection axis, the object is gripped by the two counter-rotating flywheels and projected along the projection axis through the front vertical plane of the object projection machine with an initial velocity determined by the rate of rotation of the upper and lower flywheels, with an initial rotational spin coplanar with the plane bisecting the upper and lower flywheels determined by the difference in rotation rates between the upper and lower flywheels, and with an initial trajectory coincident with the projection axis.