Posted on 06/07/2005 2:14:45 PM PDT by PetroniDE
Jun. 7--While Pirates pitcher Oliver Perez's job is in no danger, coaches and others who pitch batting practice before games could one day be relegated to the bench by a robot.
A preview could come tonight, when the S-3 Platform Robot, built by Aliquippa-based RoPro Design and Beaver County Area Vocational Technical School, will deliver the first pitch as the Pirates square off against the Baltimore Orioles on "Robotics Night" at PNC Park.
The "first ever" robotic pitch is in conjunction with the Department of Defense's Joint Robotics meeting program, which will host more than 200 government employees working in the robotics field, in Pittsburgh today and tomorrow.
The S-3, which weights about 200 pounds and resembles a small car, will be joined by a handful of other robots that will be on display on Federal Street prior to the game. These include the Sherpa DM, a heavy-duty robot made for the Army by Lawrenceville start-up Re2 Inc., and the Talon, which is made by a Boston firm and is being used by American troops in Iraq to disarm bombs.
The public can interact with these robots and others designed and produced at Carnegie Mellon University starting at 4 p.m. outside of the ballpark. At 6:45 p.m., PNC Park's Jumbotron will show a short film on the region's robotics industry.
"We want the public to be aware of the importance of the robotics industry to the region and see the neat products that are being developed locally," said Bill Thomasmeyer, president of the Lawrenceville-based National Center for Defense Robotics.
The S-3 will throw the first pitch to an honorary catcher, Technical Sergeant Noel Murphy, an Air Force specialist who recently returned home from active duty overseas.
I didn't know Al was into baseball
I hope some wiseguy doesn't put in the Kerry program so that it stands in front of the mound and still doesn't reach the plate.
This gives a whole new meaning to a pitcher's who's got the right mechanics!
With my luck, if I was catching, he would malfunction and launch a 200 mph perfect strike right at my head.
"Blue" will be able to tell if he's throwin' a spitter by the obvious oil stains.
Good Lord! Is that picture photoshopped? No way can that be real! What a dork.
Yeah. Duh. Batting cages? Jeeze! What a useless article.
Again.
How is this different from the hitting machines that we all have been taking BP with for the last, oh I don't know, 40 YEARS?
Isn't it easier to trot out a manager to throw pre-game BP? At least the grounds crew won't get a hernia moving him to/from the mound. Plus, hitting is partly about 'reading' the pitcher's delivery. That's the one thing that's difficult with a machine.
I'd say the Pirates are not only desperate, but a bit behind the times. This might have worked for the Bill Mazeroski-led 1960 Pirates. Maybe they should keep their "cutting edge" summer going with "Computer Night" or something futuristic like that!
I'm gonna say it'll be a strike.
Looks like a palmball.
Unlike major league umpires, a laser-based system can be programmed with something other than a strike zone three inches thick and 3 feet wide.
this robot ?
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It's a 'Burgh
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