Ease of Use
You can easily set the robot to feed the ball at a fixed location with a fixed spin, as this is the most basic operation for any robot. As with all robots, there is a brief learning curve as you get to know what settings are needed to create the shots that you most frequently use. In addition, it takes a little time to understand how to program the robot itself.The programming interface is easy to use. You can set the feed parameters first, and then use the remote to shoot only one ball to see if that is the ball you want and adjust as necessary. Settings are saved to memory by pushing 2 buttons at once for 3 seconds. The one-ball feed feature in concert with the wireless remote save quite a bit of time compared to all other robots, where you have to walk over to the robot head each time you need to make a spin/trajectory adjustment. Clearing a memory location is done by pushing another 2-button combination for 3 seconds.
The interface on the remote could be improved. As I mentioned before, in order to change any setting, you must increment/decrement the setting by pushing a "+" or "-" key, instead of just punching in a number directly. This method is incredibly inefficient, the users needs to punch the "+" or "-" button 29-30 times to change from topspin to underspin and vice-versa, instead of 2-3 times if a number pad method was used.
Unlike TV remotes that we are all used to, the SmartPong remote must be pointed directly at the infrared receiver on the main unit, which at times is inconvenient (i.e. when you want to stop the robot in the middle of a routine). This was a deliberate design decision made to reduce wear and tear on the robot, so the robot does not make a small adjustment each time the user increments/decrements a setting. Once you get near the final setting you wish, you point the remote at the robot, and the final setting gets recognized and the robot makes a single large adjustment.
Reliability
At this point in my review, I have to make a disclaimer for my experiences with the SmartPong robot. I own a refurbished Stiga Robot Trainer, which was originally manufactured sometime during 2004. I have no knowledge of the problem that required it to be refurbished and resold. I bought this unit as-is, but with a limited 3-month warranty. Take any issues that I report with a grain of salt, new units may not be subject to these problems, and there have been a few internal changes to the SmartPong in the past 2 years.Since the SmartPong uses the same design/parts as the Newgy, it is also dependent on the quality of the balls being used as it pertains to jamming in the machine. Balls that are too large, out of round, or with cracks/soft spots will tend to jam the machine.
Like all computers, the quality of the SmartPong's computer control is totally dependent on the input it receives. There are sensors at the ball throwing head as well as at the motors that control oscillation and head angle. If there are any problems at these sensors, the robot behaves in an unexpected manner or seems to freeze.
As an example, I had programmed a simple sequence of alternating topspins and underspins to the same spot. After a while, the robot seemed to get "stuck" in the sequence and would shoot 2 or 3 topspins then an underspin, and then 3-4 underspins and then a topspin, with no discernable pattern.
I began to get very concerned as it I was afraid that the computer control had gone bad. I took me a while to figure out that the problem was a simple mechanical problem. As the robot steps through a programmed sequence, it depends on a sensor under the friction pad to signal that a ball has been thrown, so it can move to the next ball in the sequence. It turns out that for some reason, that sensor wasn't being tripped correctly every time. Luckily, the problem was solved with a simple piece of friction tape placed on the friction block to decrease the distance between the throwing wheel and the block. When a ball passes through that space, the friction block is pushed down further, and the sensor is now triggered correctly each time.
I've had a couple of other similar occurrences where the robot stopped working due to a mechanical difficulty. Each has been easily solved in the end, but caused quite a deal of anxiety as I worked through the problem and solution.
Support
A new unit has a 1-year warranty. As I mentioned, I bought this unit from Table Tennis Pioneers (TTP). They responded quickly to my questions. I have also contacted the new North American SmartPong distributor, and they were also quick to answer questions that I had. I haven't had to replace any parts, but I've had the unit less than 1 month.Performance
I have been satisfied with this robot in the one month that I've owned it. I still find it quite amazing to watch the head spin around and deliver different types of balls as it steps through the sequences I've programmed in, as well as the pre-programmed routines. Being able to have different spin combinations in a drill has increased the realism of my practice, and I feel that my game has already started to improve. One limitation that I have noticed, is that when the head is rotating to change spins and changing the aim point while feeding the ball at a fairly high rate, the ball has sidespin and doesn't land at the programmed point.I have had the robot jam a number of times, which requires a quick disassembly of the feeding chute to clear, but for those who own Newgy's this may sound familiar. It is annoying to have to stop and clear the jam. And due to the "agitator" motor, the robot is a bit louder than a Newgy, and it does have the same "springy" sound that the Newgy has when the ball is shot out.
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