FOr size reference-
Star Wars VII Soccer Ball Droid
- Thread starter AndyJ
- Start date
Saw this the other night and immediately thought of this droid. skip to 19 seconds if you can't wait that long.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=btO9fCvEe_A
it has motorised drive inside.
-z
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=btO9fCvEe_A
it has motorised drive inside.
-z
replicant1967
New Member
great work!
Darth Lars
Master Member
Apparently, it is on a rail with a swinging weight inside. http://youtu.be/DvduCPXO_FE?t=1m20s
Hmm... that one is British. I wonder ...
hansolo2504
Active Member
This is so freaking cool! I need one! BB-8 and R2-D2, very awesome indeed
Kurt, you're going to offer kits, right? 
*chuckle*
--Jonah
*chuckle*--Jonah
Not sure if this was previously mentioned, but there's an article on the web stating that "The robotic toy company Sphero, which Iger himself mentored, announced it is partnering with Disney on a "Star Wars"-themed toy."
That may support some of the thoughts on the build.
That may support some of the thoughts on the build.
SUPERprops
Well-Known Member
I don't know whether or not this has been brought up or not but bare with me and try to imagine this...
The Ball part is motorized like the toy that is in the video with Grant from Mythbusters. I know this is easier said than done, however, that seems as if it would be the best way to do it in order to make this remotely possible.
As for the Head of the droid, I think we're all thinking a little too advanced here. Magnets wouldn't work as the head would tend to "stick' on the ball until it reached a certain speed which would likely result in the head leaning to far forward upon initial movement; causing it to fall off.
So here is my "Simple" idea... and there is a reason why that is in quotes. Basically you use more motors...
Not in the ball, but in the head itself. You would have to create a system of motors where the ball and head connect, so that when the head (which houses the motors) touches the ball, several motors ( with grip pads, wheels, or whatever you come up with) simply rest on the ball's surface.
This is where it would get tricky... Within the head, the motors would have to be connected to some type of balancing system, that way when the head starts to lean to far backward it is automatically moved forward. keep in mind, since the ball is propelling forward this would happen very quickly due to the momentum the device is already carrying. That is why this process must be automated... this would allow the ball to move around while the head appears to be balancing on top; however, the head itself would be constantly moving in every direction in order to compensate for the ball's movement.
I believe this can be done... but it would likely take a lot of time, trial/error, and not to mention money... (then again this site is full of geniuses whom always find the cheapest solution so I won't be surprised when I see this thing rolling around at celebration Anaheim)
The Ball part is motorized like the toy that is in the video with Grant from Mythbusters. I know this is easier said than done, however, that seems as if it would be the best way to do it in order to make this remotely possible.
As for the Head of the droid, I think we're all thinking a little too advanced here. Magnets wouldn't work as the head would tend to "stick' on the ball until it reached a certain speed which would likely result in the head leaning to far forward upon initial movement; causing it to fall off.
So here is my "Simple" idea... and there is a reason why that is in quotes. Basically you use more motors...
Not in the ball, but in the head itself. You would have to create a system of motors where the ball and head connect, so that when the head (which houses the motors) touches the ball, several motors ( with grip pads, wheels, or whatever you come up with) simply rest on the ball's surface.
This is where it would get tricky... Within the head, the motors would have to be connected to some type of balancing system, that way when the head starts to lean to far backward it is automatically moved forward. keep in mind, since the ball is propelling forward this would happen very quickly due to the momentum the device is already carrying. That is why this process must be automated... this would allow the ball to move around while the head appears to be balancing on top; however, the head itself would be constantly moving in every direction in order to compensate for the ball's movement.
I believe this can be done... but it would likely take a lot of time, trial/error, and not to mention money... (then again this site is full of geniuses whom always find the cheapest solution so I won't be surprised when I see this thing rolling around at celebration Anaheim)
I can see that. if the ball was metal, you could have three magnetic omni-balls on the bottom of the head that would act as low profile castors. then you could just mount something like an iphone inside the head and use it's orientation/tilt firmware to control the castors so that if it is not level it would automatically ride the ball up to the top until it's balanced. Then you could just control the ball via rc, and then change the head orientation values on a separate signal to manually control the dome.
that's a really good idea man.
that's a really good idea man.
Ball on a stick baby, ball on a stick….
Darth Lars
Master Member
A wheelbarrow-like contraption with a green frame would be the easiest for a movie for sure, but not something you would bring to a convention.
Most ball robots that I can find on the Web seem to be built with a fixed axis with a weight (batteries) that can be moved from side to side.
There are several commercial guard robots that work this way, all the way down to robots made in Lego in a hamster ball.
The ball turns by going forward while the weight is shifted to the side.
That also means that there are defined front, back, left and right and that it can be controlled like a RC car without the operator having to be confused
about what direction the inner robot is facing.
I'm thinking that if you could make this kind of robot like two hemispheres with a tiny gap in-between where you would put a narrow
stalk that holds up a lightweight head.
Mould the outer skin of the ball in foam urethane - so it works like a tire and gives good traction - and have this outer skin bridge the gap between hemispheres.
Then invent some way to divide the skin right under the head: I am thinking wheels attached to the stalk, inside the ball, that folds the skin up, down or just apart if thin enough.
Most ball robots that I can find on the Web seem to be built with a fixed axis with a weight (batteries) that can be moved from side to side.
There are several commercial guard robots that work this way, all the way down to robots made in Lego in a hamster ball.
The ball turns by going forward while the weight is shifted to the side.
That also means that there are defined front, back, left and right and that it can be controlled like a RC car without the operator having to be confused
about what direction the inner robot is facing.
I'm thinking that if you could make this kind of robot like two hemispheres with a tiny gap in-between where you would put a narrow
stalk that holds up a lightweight head.
Mould the outer skin of the ball in foam urethane - so it works like a tire and gives good traction - and have this outer skin bridge the gap between hemispheres.
Then invent some way to divide the skin right under the head: I am thinking wheels attached to the stalk, inside the ball, that folds the skin up, down or just apart if thin enough.
SUPERprops
Well-Known Member
Thanks! I love the iphone idea and actually had its stabilizing system in mind while brainstoming the idea... I didn't write about it because I would guess that there is a cheaper way. but, now that you mention it I would imagine it would be cheaper to go the route of buying an older iphone and developing a simple application that could be run in order to constantly stabilize it.
hmm... I did and nothing similar to what I mentioned came up,,
For those not watching the live-stream from Celebration, they just rolled out BB-8. No stick! He's fully autonomous, as I and others have been maintaining.
--Jonah
He's fully autonomous, as I and others have been maintaining.--Jonah
BB8!
TuskenRaider
Active Member
Here's a link for the Forece Awakens panel where they roll out BB8. Skip forward to 1h.02m. Amazing!
http://nerdist.com/watch-the-star-w...orce-awakens-panel-live-right-here-right-now/
http://nerdist.com/watch-the-star-w...orce-awakens-panel-live-right-here-right-now/
Wow. Amazing.
