High tech meets the joy of play: Targeted promotion of young talent with real practical relevance
A student project has turned into an impressive example of the practical support offered to nurture young talent: Four students from Beckhoff Automation have developed the fully automated “B.R.E.A.K.” billiard robot as part of their work-integrated study program in mechatronics/automation at the Gütersloh campus of Bielefeld University of Applied Sciences and Arts (HSBI). In German, the letters in its name stand for “billiard robot for the autonomous execution of ball shots.” The machine analyzes game situations independently, plans the best shot, and implements it autonomously. The project therefore demonstrates how closely theory and practice interact during a study program and how talented young colleagues at Beckhoff take on responsibility for demanding technological tasks at an early stage. It is precisely the connection between playful challenge and industrial automation that makes B.R.E.A.K. a particularly illustrative example: Something that at first glance looks like a fun hobby becomes a demanding application for image processing, control technology, mechanics, and software development.
© Patrick Pollmeier
The impetus for the project came from a personal enthusiasm for billiards and technology. Ben had had the idea of building a billiard robot even before he started his studies – prompted by a fascination to connect a tactical game with precise automation. Although his idea back then came to nothing due to a lack of opportunities, it became a reality during his work-integrated study program at Beckhoff. Together with Antoine, Michael, and Niklas, a team was formed that built on this technical vision to develop B.R.E.A.K. as a functioning mechatronic system. During the 6th and 7th semesters of their course, the four Beckhoff students worked diligently to turn the idea into a functioning system. Their goal was clearly defined: A fully automated billiard robot was to recognize, analyze, and execute the 8-ball game independently, while being precise, safe, transportable, and user-friendly. The result lives up to this aspiration. With a hit rate of around 80 percent, the system plays at a level above that of a good billiard player.
However, the path followed to reach the end goal was by no means straightforward. Time and again, the team was faced with tasks that were much more challenging in practice than initially expected. Ball recognition in particular became a key challenge. Because in billiards, a tiny fraction of a millimeter often determines the perfect course of the ball. What was initially planned with a target accuracy of 1 mm led to significantly more precise results over the course of the project: Today, the system achieves a repeatability of 0.2 mm and a positioning accuracy of 0.5 mm.
Learning under real-life project conditions
It is not only the technical achievement that is particularly remarkable, but also the route followed to get there. The four students organized themselves independently, structured the project using milestones, defined responsibilities, and worked for months with great discipline on the mechanical design, control technology, image processing, safety functions, electrical configuration, and production. The team made many decisions under realistic project conditions – with tight timeframes, limited resources, and ongoing coordination with sponsors, the university, and the project environment. It is precisely this practical relevance that showcases just how valuable a close connection between study and real-life work is, because it combines specialist knowledge with responsibility, independence, and concrete implementation.
Image processing for precise positioning
The technical quality of the billiard robot is demonstrated by the seamless interplay of image processing, intelligent software, and precise control technology. The first step is the optical recording of the field of play: An industrial camera from Beckhoff captures the table in three individual images under different colored light pulses. The system then uses these images to reconstruct a color image, creating the basis to position all the balls reliably and precisely.
The subsequent analysis is performed by software developed in Python. Python is a powerful programming language that has established itself in particular for image processing, data-based analysis, and machine learning applications. A trained model recognizes and classifies the balls, determines their exact position on the table, and, at the same time, compensates for optical distortions to ensure a reliable data basis for further processing.
© Patrick Pollmeier
Based on this information, the system calculates the perfect playing strategy and the optimum next shot in a fraction of a second. B.R.E.A.K. therefore translates a game situation that people often assess intuitively into precise data, algorithms, and motion profiles. The resulting target and movement data is transferred to the Beckhoff control system via ADS. ADS serves as a fast and reliable communication interface between the software-based analysis and the control level. TwinCAT, the automation software from Beckhoff, was used for automation and to execute movements. There, the students implemented the machine logic in such a way that the system aligns itself safely, highly precisely, and without collisions, and executes every shot in a controlled and reproducible manner.
The result is a complete system that is not only impressive in terms of its technical performance, but also due to the consistent integration of all key disciplines – from optical detection using Beckhoff technology to intelligent data processing and precise execution of movements.
Industrial control at the core
The technological basis of the project was Beckhoff’s PC-based control technology with an industrial PC as a powerful central control platform. The team built on this to implement the integration of TwinCAT, drive technology, and industrial image processing – including industrial camera and illumination – to create a seamlessly coordinated complete system. Components from other sponsors in the local Ostwestfalen-Lippe region were also used. The result demonstrates the high practical relevance of the project: The robot brings together different technologies into a functional application and shows how industrial automation solutions can be implemented in an efficient, scalable, and application-oriented manner.
System development meeting multiple requirements
It is important that B.R.E.A.K. functions with technical precision, captures the imagination as an interactive demonstrator, and makes automation technology a playful experience. Visitors should be able to understand straight away how image processing, control technology, and mechanics interact in an illustrative application. In addition to pure functionality, the team had to meet numerous requirements: The robot had to play reliably and be transportable, easy to assemble, and safe to use at events. It was these aspects in particular that revealed how valuable the systematic approach to the project was. The students conducted tests, made adaptations, discarded approaches, and improved the system step by step.
© Patrick Pollmeier
The initial plan of using a steel frame was replaced with a modular structure made of aluminum profiles, as this offered greater flexibility and was easier to manage. The team also methodically developed the original idea for the shot mechanism: Instead of a linear shot system, the four students implemented a swinging hammer principle that is mechanically more efficient and has a much slimmer design. To ensure safe use at events, they also integrated two diagonally arranged safety laser scanners that monitor the area around the table and reliably stop the system as soon as people approach the safety area.
Work-integrated study as a model for success
For Beckhoff Automation, this project exemplifies the merit of work-integrated study in cooperation with the Gütersloh campus of Bielefeld University of Applied Sciences and Arts (HSBI). The four students not only applied their technical knowledge, but also took on responsibility, made decisions, coordinated interfaces, and brought a sophisticated project to completion under real-life conditions. They learned to define requirements, set priorities, handle setbacks constructively, and work together reliably as a team. It is precisely this combination of engineering knowledge, initiative, and the ability to implement ideas that develops young talent into qualified engineers. This also enhances Beckhoff’s own innovative strength in the long term.
Young engineers given the freedom to develop
It is exactly this that makes Beckhoff such an attractive proposition for young talent: Here, students on work-integrated study programs do not work on the sidelines – they actively shape the company. They take on responsibility early on, work with advanced technology, and experience how ideas are turned into fascinating solutions. The project demonstrates that when technical challenges and the fun of trying things out go hand in hand, outstanding achievements are the result. The company creates the right framework conditions for this – with high-performance automation technology, trust, and the freedom to develop further when faced with real challenges.
Promoting talent pays off
The fully automated B.R.E.A.K. billiard robot is currently located in the Beckhoff Automation training building. Not only will it remain there as a visible result of dedicated teamwork – it will also continue to serve as a practical teaching resource for future student intakes. In the next module – Mechatronic Systems – a new group of students will take over its further development. Looking to the future, additional game modes, bank shots, an automated ball set-up, and extended software functions are possible additions. The next level of the high-tech game is therefore already in sight.