spherical robot climbing out of a hole

Spherical robot capable of climbing steep inclines and overcoming large obstacles. Invented by Greg Schroll.

Received the Next Generation Award at the 2009 Popular Mechanics Breakthrough Awards.

http://www.popularmechanics.com/science/robotics/4332921.html?series=88

Undergraduate winner of Collegiate Inventors Competition 2008.

http://www.invent.org/collegiate/finalists_2008.html#schroll

18 inch diameter sphere climbing out of 4 inch deep hole.

Patent Pending.

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• sphere
• spherical
• robot
• ball
• vehicle
• greg
• schroll
• popular
• mechanics
• breakthrough
• awards
• 2009
• next
• generation
• Collegiate
• Inventors
• Competition
• 2008
• MIT

[mcpriess]

I'm a bit confused by your description- does your robot produce torque by reacting against gyroscopes which are allowed to precess (like in a control moment gyro), or does it produce torque by braking flywheels which you have spun up? Either way, mad props for overcoming whats been a very fundamental limitation of spherical robots. Please tell me you're going to publish on this!

[highgearengineer]

@mcpriess It uses the flywheels like control moment gyroscopes to produce torque. The difficulty is now controlling the dynamics of the sphere with the added gyroscopic effects.

[mcpriess]

@highgearengineer So are the gyros only capable of providing high reaction torque for a limited time then? I would assume that as you reacted against one of them, it would precess until it's flywheel axis was parallel to the axis of the applied torque.

[highgearengineer]

@mcpriess That is correct. Unfortunately, there is no way to get around the limits of the Conservation of Angular Momentum.

[wdfowty]

that's pretty sweet. you need to add jesus mode and have it roll on water!

[basheersubei]

more videos please!!! Very nice!

[highgearengineer]

@Excalib12e It is not a truly omnidirectional sphere in that it cannot rotate continuously about any arbitrary axis. It does have a primary rolling axis (X as you said). The ball can tilt side to side about the Y axis using the pendulum inside. Using a "simple" configuration of control moment gyroscopes, additional torque can be generated about the X-axis, but it can also generate torque about the Z-axis to spin in place. A more complicated CMG mechanism can generate torque about Y as well.

[Excalib12e]

@highgearengineer

How does it rotate about the Z-axis or Y-axis..I take that to mean spinning on the spot? It seems that it would support full 360 degree rotation in only one axis. In this case X

[mcpriess]

@highgearengineer Our lab has been doing some work on a novel gyro-stabilized platform, and as I'm sure you've found out, 3D rigid body dynamics involving gyros is no fun at all. I look forward to seeing where you go with your new prototype!

[wer6399]

@highgearengineer big words make my brain hurt. . .