Alright, so I got this wild idea a while back to make a projector pool table system. You know, like those fancy ones you see sometimes, but I wasn’t about to shell out thousands for one. Figured I could cobble something together myself. And let me tell you, it’s been a journey.
Getting Started – The “Bright” Idea
It all started when I was looking at my old pool table. Solid table, but I wanted to spice things up. I’d seen videos of systems that project aiming lines, or even games, right onto the felt. “How hard can it be?” I thought. Famous last words, as always. My first step was figuring out the absolute basics I’d need.
- A projector, obviously.
- Some kind of camera to see the table and balls.
- A computer to do the brain work.
- And then, the really fuzzy part: the software to tie it all together.
The Great Component Hunt
I started by digging through my pile of old tech. Found an old laptop that seemed beefy enough. For the projector, I knew I needed something reasonably bright, but I didn’t want to break the bank. Scoured online marketplaces and found a used one that looked promising. The camera was a bit of a gamble; I just grabbed a decent quality webcam, hoping it would do the trick. You never really know until you try, right?
Mounting Mayhem
Okay, this part was more annoying than I expected. I had to get the projector mounted directly above the center of the table. This involved ceiling mounts, a lot of measuring, and even more adjusting. Then, the camera needed a good vantage point too, usually offset a bit to see the balls clearly without being blocked by the projector. I spent a good weekend just getting these two things physically in place. My neck was sore for days. Lots of trial and error, drilling, patching, and re-drilling. It wasn’t pretty, but it was up.
Wrestling with Software and Calibration
This is where the real “fun” began. I first tried looking for off-the-shelf software. There are a few bits and pieces out there, but nothing that just worked out of the box for my specific, cobbled-together hardware. So, I ended up diving into some computer vision libraries. Stuff like OpenCV. Talk about a learning curve.
The biggest headache? Calibration. Oh man. You have to teach the software exactly where the table is in the camera’s view, and then map the projector’s output perfectly onto the physical table. This meant endless cycles of:
- Projecting a grid.
- Telling the software where the corners of the table are.
- Adjusting.
- Realizing it’s slightly off.
- Rinse and repeat.
It felt like I spent days just tweaking numbers, nudging the camera, and then re-tweaking. If the lighting in the room changed, or if someone accidentally bumped the projector, it was back to square one. Frustrating is an understatement.
Seeing the First Glimmers of Success
After what felt like an eternity, I finally got the ball tracking to work, sort of. The system could see the cue ball and the object balls. Then I started programming some basic aiming lines. The first time I saw a projected line correctly showing the path of the cue ball, even if it was a bit jittery, I felt like a genius! It was crude, but it was working.
I had to get the computer to:
- Grab an image from the camera.
- Find the balls on the table – which means figuring out circles of certain colors.
- Figure out which one is the cue ball.
- Detect the cue stick, or at least the direction you’re aiming.
- Do some math to predict the ball paths.
- Send that information to the projector to draw lines on the table.
Each step had its own little quirks. Lighting changes were the enemy. Shadows could trick the system. It’s amazing how much stuff our brains do automatically that computers find super hard.
What It Can Do Now (Sort Of)
So, after all that fiddling, what do I have? Well, it’s not one of those super polished commercial systems, that’s for sure. It’s more of a… passionate amateur setup. It can project aiming lines, which is cool. I’ve even programmed a simple “target practice” mode where it shows you spots to hit. The tracking isn’t always perfect, especially if the lighting isn’t just right or if the balls are too close together. It’s got character, let’s put it that way.
Sometimes the projector isn’t quite bright enough if it’s a sunny day, even with the curtains closed. And if the camera moves even a millimeter, the calibration is shot. But when it works, it’s pretty neat. My friends get a kick out of it, even if we spend half the time tinkering with it to get it dialed in again.
Was It Worth It?
Honestly, yeah, I think so. It was a massive learning experience. Frustrating as heck at times, but that’s how these projects go. I built something with my own hands, learned a ton about computer vision and projectors, and now my pool games have this quirky tech layer. It’s definitely more about the journey of building it than having a flawless system. Plus, it’s a great conversation starter. And who knows, maybe I’ll keep tweaking it. That’s the thing with these homebrew projects, they’re never really finished, are they?