A robot that was custom built for the Philadelphia Science Festival threw the opening ball at the game against the Milwaukee Brewers at the Citizens Bank Park field.
The robot which is nicknamed PhillieBot was built at the Penn State University robotics lab. The General Robotics, Automation, Sensing and Perception robot was on the field accompanied by its designers.
Philliebot throws the first pitch
Created by the deputy dean of education in the School of Engineering and Applied Science Vijay Kumar and his collaborators in the Department of Mechanical Engineering and Applied Mechanics, the robot had begun its life as a Segway scooter. It also has a robotic arm suitable for surgery and a custom- made pneumatic wrist.
Programmer Jordan Brindza helped design the robot and said it was really exciting as Jordan led the robot to the pitcher's mound with a video-game controller. Having always wanted to throw the first ball Jordan was delighted to have the robot throw it instead.
Other members of the team who were involved in the creation of PhillieBot were Jamie Gewirtz the Staff-Research Specialist who assisted in mechanical design, component integration and manufacturing. Christian Moore (MEAM PhD) aided with the mechanical design and manufacturing while Rebecca Stein the Associate Director, Research and Educational Outreach oversaw the project.