There are several things that you can use to test your arena simulation input analyzer. For example, you could set up a test playing field and then record what happens when the balls land in that field. You could set up a variety of different types of obstacles in different conditions so that you can see which ones cause problems for the ball. Or you could have the balls hit objects and record how often that type of obstacle causes a problem for the ball.
However, it is difficult to produce a chart of what kinds of obstacles hurt the ball because the ball could bounce off any number of different obstacles. You can create a chart by recording a series of different obstacles with different conditions and then look at the column titled “Impact of obstacles” and see which ones show the most problems.
Another way to get a clue about which obstacles really hurt the ball is to watch the bounce rate of the ball in response to the obstacles. Your ball will bounce off whatever obstacle you add, so if it bounces very little, then it is not being affected much by the obstacle. Conversely, if it bounces very hard, then it is not bouncing on the surface correctly, so it is being damaged by the obstacle.
If your ball is bouncing too hard off the surface of the enclosure, then the enclosure is not fitting properly, so you will have to get the correct enclosure. The proper enclosure is something that has very little friction. This is also why an inexpensive arena simulation input analyzer might not work well – it might be too hard or too soft. An enclosure that is too soft is going to be uncomfortable for the ball, but it is not going to give the necessary resistance to really affect the ball at all. On the other hand, an enclosure that is too hard is going to break the surface of the enclosure, but it is not going to affect the ball in any way.
If you really want to know what kind of enclosure is going to be right for your arena simulation input analyzer, then you need to watch the ball on your display. Try to get a ball that is equipped with an LED display so that you can actually read the data and understand the difficulties.
In the display that has the bright blue lights, the ball has to bounce so high that it has to bounce over a large amount of surface area, like the floor area in the display. If the ball bounces over a lot of ground surface area, then it is probably too soft.
In the display that has the red light, the ball is too high to bounce over a large amount of floor area. If the ball hits the floor too high, then it is probably too hard.
You need to figure out how many obstacles you will need in your arena simulation input analyzer before you buy the enclosure and compare them to the number of floor area in the display. You can’t take the LEDs with you to the store and ask the sales person for these figures, because the display won’t be accurate.
In order to get a more accurate number, multiply the display’s square footage by four, which will give you the amount of the enclosure. Multiply that number by the number of obstacles on the enclosure (the LEDs) and then subtract that number from the total number of obstacles on the enclosure.
The result is the total amount of obstacles that are needed in the enclosure to make the ball stop bouncing. Use this number when you go shopping for your enclosure. Once you get it, you will be able to make a good decision on whether you need to buy an enclosure with larger floors or a smaller one with fewer floors.