States » EastPosted at: Nov 13 2026 12:06AM


Visva-Bharati professor receives central patent for Table Tennis Ball feeder machine

Debajyoti Chakraborty
Santiniketan, Nov 12 (UNI) Dr. Abhijit Thandar, a professor in the Department of Physical Education at Visva-Bharati University, has received central government recognition for designing an automated ball-throwing machine for table tennis.
Developed alongside three student researchers, the "Table Tennis Ball Feeder Machine" has officially been granted a patent.
Incidentally, West Bengal is widely recognized as India’s premier powerhouse in table tennis. The state consistently produces the highest volume of national champions, grassroots qualifiers, and international medalists across both senior and youth categories.
The innovative device is designed to help table tennis players practice independently without needing a coach or partner.
According to the research team, the current prototype will undergo future upgrades to further refine and enhance its ball-feeding mechanism.
The idea was inspired by traditional cricket bowling machines, which are widely used to train batters.
"When we began exploring sports technology at Visva-Bharati, the goal was to create something new," Dr. Thandar explained. "As cricketers, we were familiar with bowling machines, which sparked the idea to develop a similar training tool for table tennis."
Visva-Bharati professor Dr. Abhijit Thandar's three research students are Firdous Tabassum, Kundan Das, and Azharuddin Khan.
Following their application to the Ministry of Commerce and Industry’s patent portal in August 2025, the innovation received official recognition after a year-long evaluation. Designed to help athletes practice effectively without a coach, the lightweight and portable machine mimics an opponent by launching balls onto the table.
Currently, the prototype is crafted from accessible, inexpensive materials, including cardboard, screws, battery-powered motors, and sponges repurposed from NCC drumsticks.
Speaking on the achievement, Dr. Thandar noted that the machine allows players to train independently and can be built by anyone at minimal expense. He added that the team is actively conducting player trials to gather feedback, aiming to further modernize and upgrade the model in the near future.
Fellow researcher Azharuddin Khan noted that the device allows beginners to train easily without a partner, much like solo cricket batting practice.
Table Tennis Coach Souvik Mondal praised the machine, stating it will boost the sport's popularity in rural districts lacking proper infrastructure and coaching.
This central recognition for Dr. Thandar's sports innovation closely follows UNESCO’s recent recognition of Visva-Bharati's 307-year-old
palm-leaf manuscript of the Mahabharata's Karna Parva.
UNI DC SSP RN
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