PoolTable

Revision as of 12:29, 13 March 2008

Everybody should be familair with Pool Tables. (or Billiard Tables).

Big rectangle. Green felt. Holes in the corners and in the middle of the long edges. A bunch of small solid balls. A study of dynamic physics.

Now it has occured to me that there are a few ways that this basic concept can be expanded upon and played with...

The Table

Image GIMPed by nemo

In more recent years, I've seen a trend in some clubs and high-end tables to have alternately coloured felt. Royal blue, white/cream, grey...

Recently I saw a table with a simple blue/white pattern (half each), and I got to thinking...

Designs for pooltables

• Geometric symbols, designs and equations
• Optical illusions (especially the ones that make parallel lines look curved or appear to be non-parallel)
• Semi-transparent with lights underneath. (Disco floor pooltable!)
  • Thick Acrylic instead of slate and white felt? Note that slate is commonly used "due to its thermal stability and chemical inertness" --Wikipedia:Slate. Can acrylic compare?
  • Detect the location of the balls and 'display' stuff on the table appropriately. (eg: ripples). This could be done either from above (projector) or below?

Some effects could be achieved simply with a projector from above, rather than permenent designs in the table felt itself? (noting that projectors are usually not in the 1:2 ratio that pool tables are)

The balls

Another variation in play would be to use weighted balls. Basically - think of lawn bowls. Weighted balls would need to be visually marked appropriately, and would allow for the possibility of non-spin based curved rolling paths.

Links

• Disco dance floor - could be used for the table?
• Microsoft Surface To detect objects