{"id":187462,"date":"2025-05-05T09:37:25","date_gmt":"2025-05-05T13:37:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.hajim.rochester.edu\/senior-design-day\/?p=187462"},"modified":"2026-05-04T10:18:31","modified_gmt":"2026-05-04T14:18:31","slug":"baseball-testing-apparatus","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.hajim.rochester.edu\/senior-design-day\/baseball-testing-apparatus\/","title":{"rendered":"Baseball Testing Apparatus"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Team Members<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Max Colognesi<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n
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Zajan Crapo<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n
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PJ London<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n
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Katie White<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Sponser<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

JJ Ruby- Houston Astros Senior Director of R&D<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Abstract<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

For this project, the team was tasked with creating a machine that universally holds a Major League Baseball Bat and testing its moment of inertia to find specific differences between bats. The sponsor laid out a set of variables, combined with the MLB rule book of baseball bats, that led to requirements and specifications for the product to be made. In the end, a machine was created that, when the bat was balanced at its center of mass on a V in the machine, a lever would pull, releasing a spring-loaded spinner that would fully constrain the bat to the machine. Once constrained, a touch screen will prompt the weight of the bat and how far the end of the bat is from the V the center of mass is balanced. Once confirmed, the user would rotate the device unit it hits a button, where it will then be released with the MOI recorded and displayed. The universal bat hold showed success in a strong constraint for rotation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Problem Statment<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The Houston Astros need a way to measure the moment of inertia (MOI)<\/strong> of baseball bats\u2014a key factor in swing feel and performance. Current tools only measure weight and length, missing critical data that affects player consistency and injury risk. There is no portable, accurate, or non-destructive MOI measurement device on the market. Our system fills this gap, giving the Astros a tool to optimize bat selection<\/strong> across players. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Requirments<\/h2>\n\n\n\n