Hasta La Gadget!

EARL is the perfect name for a robotic bowler, but even if we strip away the acronym artifice to reveal the technology’s full name–Enhanced Automated Robotic Launcher–EARL’s a pretty cool invention. According to a post on Coolest Gadgets EARL is an expert bowling robot used by the Equipment Specifications and Certifications team of the National Bowling Congress to test bowling gear.

I used to bowl a bit and always imagined that if I, like EARL, could throw the ball exactly the same every time, and consistently hit the sweet spot between the 1 and 2 (or 3) pin, I’d have a strike every time. I never bowled above a175, but strangely, EARL, a seemingly perfect bowler–it’s a computer for heaven’s sake–can’t bowl perfectly either. Learn why (and see EARL compete) after the jump.