Citing a BBC documentary and an xkcd comic as inspiration a Hack a Day forumer called machinelou has begun work on a computer-controlled ball robot. The aim is for the 12-inch ball to eventually be steerable and perhaps even have bump detection. From Hack A Day:
He used a small drill to provide the power required to roll the ball, and an Arduino is used as the brains of the device. […] In its current state, the ball is programmed to roll forward and backwards for a few seconds before going back to sleep.
It’s a fascinating look at a hobbyist at work, and gives some insight to anyone else thinking of following in the footsteps of this little robot’s creator.
Keep reading below to see the ball-bot take its first roll around.
(Hack A Day Forums via Hack A Day)
Published: Apr 11, 2011 9:44 PM UTC