Comments on: Spherical Robot Can Climb Over Obstacles http://www.botjunkie.com/2009/10/15/spherical-robot-can-climb-over-obstacles/ Jonesing For Robot News Fri, 12 Mar 2010 22:08:40 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.1 hourly 1 By: J. Brad Harris http://www.botjunkie.com/2009/10/15/spherical-robot-can-climb-over-obstacles/comment-page-1/#comment-5218 J. Brad Harris Fri, 23 Oct 2009 04:19:49 +0000 http://www.botjunkie.com/?p=2914#comment-5218 The gyro's aren't doing any propulsion or stabilisation in this device. You can clearly see the two gyros at the 3:01 mark (front and back), and then one of the drive motors at the 3:30 mark. The gyros simply provide additional rotational inertia which allows the drive motors to create more leverage than they could without the gyros. Since the weight of the pendulum alone can only provide so much leverage being trapped within the body of the sphere, Greg decided to find another way of increasing that inertia. Since inertia is a function of angular velocity, he added angular velocity via the gyros to the front/back of the unit and voila. Intuitive once you think about it, but as far as I know he's the first. The gyro’s aren’t doing any propulsion or stabilisation in this device. You can clearly see the two gyros at the 3:01 mark (front and back), and then one of the drive motors at the 3:30 mark. The gyros simply provide additional rotational inertia which allows the drive motors to create more leverage than they could without the gyros. Since the weight of the pendulum alone can only provide so much leverage being trapped within the body of the sphere, Greg decided to find another way of increasing that inertia. Since inertia is a function of angular velocity, he added angular velocity via the gyros to the front/back of the unit and voila. Intuitive once you think about it, but as far as I know he’s the first.

]]> By: Anonymous2 http://www.botjunkie.com/2009/10/15/spherical-robot-can-climb-over-obstacles/comment-page-1/#comment-5167 Anonymous2 Mon, 19 Oct 2009 17:18:50 +0000 http://www.botjunkie.com/?p=2914#comment-5167 The Gyrover is balanced with gyroscopes but not propelled with them. The Gyrover is balanced with gyroscopes but not propelled with them.

]]> By: Foreigner1 http://www.botjunkie.com/2009/10/15/spherical-robot-can-climb-over-obstacles/comment-page-1/#comment-5122 Foreigner1 Fri, 16 Oct 2009 17:49:59 +0000 http://www.botjunkie.com/?p=2914#comment-5122 ...What's the "robotic" aspect to that thing...? I've remarked this before- Most items I see even on botjunky are not so much robots, but rather remote-controlled vehicles of some sort or another. Even the bipedal versions that from time to time are presented, mostly work on the bases of remote control. Same with this ball here - Robot??? First thing he does is take the remote control to let it do things! Where's the autonomy in that ball...? Sorry to nag, but I think the term "robot" has undergone some hefty devaluation and now stands more for anyting remote-controlled with a camera bolted on it. And I think that is wrong. …What’s the “robotic” aspect to that thing…?

I’ve remarked this before- Most items I see even on botjunky are not so much robots, but rather remote-controlled vehicles of some sort or another.
Even the bipedal versions that from time to time are presented, mostly work on the bases of remote control. Same with this ball here – Robot??? First thing he does is take the remote control to let it do things! Where’s the autonomy in that ball…?

Sorry to nag, but I think the term “robot” has undergone some hefty devaluation and now stands more for anyting remote-controlled with a camera bolted on it.
And I think that is wrong.

]]> By: Anonymous http://www.botjunkie.com/2009/10/15/spherical-robot-can-climb-over-obstacles/comment-page-1/#comment-5105 Anonymous Thu, 15 Oct 2009 19:19:27 +0000 http://www.botjunkie.com/?p=2914#comment-5105 What's the innovation? Ben Brown built his Gyrover back in 1997. What’s the innovation? Ben Brown built his Gyrover back in 1997.

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