Boccia -picking up the boccia balls
A member of the public has posed a question on the website, in relation to the bowling projects “Did you manage a solution for picking up boccia balls?”
Does anyone know the answer? I can remember projects for bowling the balls but not picking them up. Suggestions welcome please.
Paula
p.allchin@remap.org.uk
- Skills involved:
- Issues Addresses:
- Activities Helped:
- Location:
- Solution:
Thank you all, I’ll put the person in touch with their local group
I think Robert’s got it right. Given the varying functional abilities of the players it might require anything from a claw to a conveyor belt. It seems that competitors must be in a wheelchair while playing so perhaps a combined collector/ball store that attaches to the wheelchair might be appropriate.
How about a standard rubbish picker stick?
Praps adding a couple of side ‘fingers’ to stop the ball slipping out sideways.
Perhaps a dent puller (as used for car body panel repairs) on a long stick may work. This would depend upon the size and weight of the balls
I imagine the better course of action would be to ask the enquirer to contact his local Remap Panel so the job can be assessed properly.
It is not stated what the problem is but I assume the person concerned cannot bend down and pick them up. I suppose the balls are quite heavy. I imagine a long handled ladle with a hemispherical cup would do it, like a ball throwing stick for a dog but more substantial.
Looks like a wire bending job. I would try making a keyhole shape in some heavy gauge wire so that a round part drops over the ball and the slightly narrower end lifts the ball. Maybe turn the narrow end up a bit. Mount this on a telescopic walking stick or just make the wire long enough to form a handle as well.
Then again you could try a triple wire hook like an oversize sprocket puller or log lifting claw.
After looking up Boccia and size and weight of the balls it seems to me a tennis ball flinger as used by dog owners may well work. A small container on the end of a stick like a dust pan and a small brush may well work. Of course the classic Pétanque method is to use a magnet but only with metal balls.