Tabletop Soccer Game using arduino

Send a Foosball down a ramp and try to score on the goalie! But scoring is not so easy – the goalie moves left and right to block your shot! This project was made for a class called “Thinks that Think” at CU Boulder for the Spring 2012 semester

Step 1: Ramp

Materials: Aluminum tubing, Basswood, Wooden Dowel, Wood Glue
Tools: Hand Drill, Drill Bit

1. Cut a rectangle from a piece of ⅜” Basswood for the staging area of the ramp. Dimensions: 6cm X 3.5cm

2. Cut two more pieces from the Basswood that will be used to hold the dowel in place. Dimensions: 2.5cm X 2.5cm

3. Cut 2 pieces of the aluminum tubing to length of 25cm

4. Cut the dowel to length of  6.5cm

5. Drill two holes in the staging area 1” apart (roughly ⅔ the width of the foosball), centered on the thin edge of the long side, just wide enough for the aluminum tubing to fit into.

Tabletop Soccer Game

Step 2: Box Frame

Materials: Plywood, basswood, piece of 2”X4” wood, fishing wire, wood glue
Tools: Miter saw, laser cutter, scissors

1. Cut out three 12” X 24” X 0.25” sections of plywood (can get from Home Depot)

2. Make eight 2” X 2” X 4” blocks.  We did this by cutting four 4” pieces of 2” X 4” wood, then cutting each piece in half lengthwise.  For two of these blocks, cut a section out at a 45 degree angle leaving about 1” of flat space on top.  These pieces will be used to attach the sections together in the Assemble the Layers step.

3. Make the Top:
a. Cut a hole for the ball to drop through (9”x2.5” and 0.7” from the back edge)
b. Laser cut a 9”x0.3” slot about ½” in front of the ball drop. This is where the goal support rod will come through.
c. Drill a hole for the ramp support dowel centered about 1” from the front edge. Glue a wooden square on the bottom side of the plywood piece to cover the hole.
d. Now that all of the cutting has been done, spray paint the plywood green to look like a soccer field! Add white field lines if desired. Don’t use latex paint!

4. Make the Middle:
a. Make a cut in the section of plywood from the middle sheet for the ball return
b. Drill 2 small holes X” distance on either side of the hole.
c. Thread a piece of fishing wire through the hole tying a knot on the top section to prevent the string from going all the way through the hole, while still leaving enough string to make it around the ball return ramp and be tied through the other whole. with the remaining string, find the appropriate length of string so that the ball return ramp is supported flush to the bottom of the middle ramp and can be tied on the top section of the middle ramp. this creates a loop of string that holds up the ball return ramp and attaches it to the middle sections.
d. Laser cut two basswood pieces to serve as the ball drop ramp, which feeds the ball into the cutout of the middle plywood layer. They should have dimensions of 2.5”x5.3”.
e. Glue the two pieces of basswood together at a right angle.
f.  Make a notch on the bottom of the ball return so that it can sit on the string without sliding.

5. Make the Bottom
a. Cut out a piece of basswood that is 22”x2” and another that is 22”x 15/8”. Glue the narrower plank to the face of wider plank to make the ball return ramp
b. Attach two short pieces of wood beginning where the ball return ramp ends.  The pieces of wood should be angled outward to direct the ball to the front face where the player will retrieve the ball.
c. Make an indention for the corner of the ramp to sit in for stability.

6. Assemble the Layers
a. Take the four of the eight support pieces of wood (previously cut) and place one at each corner of the bottom layer.
b. When pleased with the alignment secure the supports to the bottom layer using wood glue, and a screw if desired.
c. Take the remaining four supports and place one at each corner of the middle layers.  When pleased with the alignment secure the supports to the middle layer using wood glue, and screws is desired.
d. Place the middle layer on the four supports of the bottom layer.
e. Once aligned secure the middle layer to the supports using wood glue.
f. Glue the ball drop ramp pieces to the cut out angled edges of the two specially precut supporting blocks
g. Place the top layer on the supports of the middle layer.
h. Once aligned secure the top layer to the supports using wood glue.

7. Make the faces and walls
a. Front face
i. Laser cut the front face out of ⅛” basswood so that the entire bottom front opening is covered (12”x4.5”)
ii. Laser cut a hole that is big enough to fit your hand through centered on the front face (roughly 2.5” tall and 4” wide). The bottom of the hole should be 1.5” from the bottom of the piece.
iii. Use small finishing nails in the corners to secure the face between the bottom and middle layer.  Be sure to put the nails into the support posts but not into the plywood as it will split.
b. Back face
i. Laser cut a piece of basswood so that it completely covers the back opening (behind and below the goal opening) between the top and middle layers (should be about 12”x4.5”)
ii. Put glue on the outside of the middle layer posts and the edge of the top and middle plywood layers. Glue the back face to these surfaces.
iii. Use nails in the posts if extra stability is desired
c. Side walls
i. Laser cut two ⅛”x2”x24” pieces of basswood
ii. Glue the side walls long-ways along the edge of the top layer
iii. Nail the ends of the side walls to the posts if extra stability is desired

Tabletop Soccer Game

Step 8: Possible Additional Features

1. Employ limit switches and a center switch to position the goalie more accurately and prevent the motors from burning out.

2. Integrate a 2nd distance sensor for more accurate ball positioning.

3. Integrate a goal counter to increase the count on a LED scoreboard whenever a goal is made.

4. Have music play when a goal is made and booing played when the player misses.

5. Make a hand reach into the ball return and place the ball on the ramp if a goal is scored.

For more detail: Tabletop Soccer Game

About The Author

Ibrar Ayyub

I am an experienced technical writer holding a Master's degree in computer science from BZU Multan, Pakistan University. With a background spanning various industries, particularly in home automation and engineering, I have honed my skills in crafting clear and concise content. Proficient in leveraging infographics and diagrams, I strive to simplify complex concepts for readers. My strength lies in thorough research and presenting information in a structured and logical format.

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