Foosball Table goal sensing

Community Projects
1

Hi, I am considering a project to add a sensor to the goal boxes of my foosball table and wanted to ask for a little advice from this community.

My idea is to have some kind of sensor behind a general padding (1/4" cork or foam) which will do two things: deaden the goal sound a little and generalize/absorb the shock from a ball hitting the back wall of a foosball goal.

Wondering what sensor type might work best to capture vibration like this, but not react to the movement of the table?

Or would there be a better sensor approach someone could offer (especially for a case where a ball just drops in the goal and doesn’t slam the back wall).

I was hoping to capture the goals with an arduino and count scores, play sounds, etc.

Thanks!

2

haukeg:
Or would there be a better sensor approach someone could offer (especially for a case where a ball just drops in the goal and doesn’t slam the back wall).

I think the above rules out a vibe/shock sensor on the back wall. Can you mod the 'chamber' so that the ball drops through a just > ball-sized hole before it gets to where you remove it ? If so then a micro-switch or IR proximity sensor would detect a goal, albeit perhaps a few 0.1s after the fact.
3

dear haukeg,

I started the same project, for the fun, and I have the same questions than you.

did you crack your issue when the ball is hitting the back wall and goes back directly in the game?

my prototype works on a table (I detect pressure with a piezo ), but it does not work well in real game :frowning: .

Thanks!

4

haukeg:
Hi, I am considering a project to add a sensor to the goal boxes of my foosball table and wanted to ask for a little advice from this community.

My idea is to have some kind of sensor behind a general padding (1/4" cork or foam) which will do two things: deaden the goal sound a little and generalize/absorb the shock from a ball hitting the back wall of a foosball goal.

Wondering what sensor type might work best to capture vibration like this, but not react to the movement of the table?

Or would there be a better sensor approach someone could offer (especially for a case where a ball just drops in the goal and doesn’t slam the back wall).

I was hoping to capture the goals with an arduino and count scores, play sounds, etc.

Thanks!

Why not have the ball break a light beam as it moves into the goal. The break could be detected by the Arduino, and vibration shouldn't affect it.