Robot golf vs holes that keep getting harder

Summary by Krater

The creator programs a smart mini-golf club that uses motion capture and physics simulation to automatically aim at the hole, then tests it on challenging obstacles like bank shots, wavy hills, and a vertical loop.

From the video

Answers: How do you build a self-aiming mini-golf club using motion capture and physics simulation?

• Smart mini-golf club engineering
• Motion tracking camera setup
• Physics engine simulation
• Optimization algorithms for trajectory
• Thermal expansion compensation

What it concludes

• A golf ball bouncing off a wall is more complex than expected because its spin causes it to jump up and follow a curved path.
• Motion tracking cameras can be used as 3D scanners by recording the path of a reflective marker along a wall or inside a hole.
• A stochastic solver helps find correct physics parameters when exact trial and error takes too many combinations.
• Thermal expansion causes camera tripods and metal structures to shift position, requiring three reference markers on the course to automatically compensate.
• The physical mini-golf loop obstacle fails because ball bouncing off a wall introduces air drag and unpredictable speed changes.