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EARL, short for Enhanced Automated Robotic Launcher, is an automated bowling robot, capable of chucking a ball down the lane at 10 to 24 mph, with a spin rate from 50 to 900 rpm, plenty to keep up with the pros. Neil Stremmel, the managing director of the United States Bowling Congress, says that EARL is able to “throw a bowling ball to within a tenth of a mile an hour, a third of a board down the lane, more consistent and more accurate than any human bowler.”
But when push comes to shove, how well does EARL actually stand up against a real pro? Chris Barnes, one of the only professional bowlers to win both PBA’s Rookie of the Year award (which he did in 1998) and the Player of the Year award (which he won in the 2007-2008 season), was man enough to step up to the plate and bowl a few frames with the strike-throwing machine. Just how good is EARL? Watch the video to find out.
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