Robot Juggler Sure Handles A Lot Of Balls

This robot juggler, pictured above during its appearance at Amper 2010, can keep five balls in the air at once. It was designed by the Department of Control Engineering at the Czech Technical Institute in Prague. We know it doesn’t look like much in that still image, but the two videos embedded after the break are pure gold.

To arms on vertical tracks do the juggling. They can move up and down on said tracks, and circular grippers attached to each can pivot horizontally. A third actuator resides at the bottom of the machine, collecting any balls that might drop, and launching them back into the realm of the juggling hands. A high-speed camera facilitates object tracking in much the same ways that it’s been used for quadcopter control.

The objects being thrown around in that protective enclosure are billiards balls. We guess the added mass helps to dampen any small irregularities in the throw or the catch.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gIheAjvEiBE&w=470]

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f2leH_kvg0U&w=470]

 

 

 

21 thoughts on “Robot Juggler Sure Handles A Lot Of Balls

  1. It is not high speed camera, I have been talking to the guys at the show. They have models of balls, and predict where the balls are in the space/time.

    There is a bug in the machine – 3rd arm does have some problem in movement, and doesn’t throw the ball according to the model all the time. The ball will miss it’s windows and fall. Maybe some grease would help :)

    There is a big 19inch rack standing next to the “robot”, that contains all the electronics needed for the fun.

  2. id love to see the first roller coaster that fires you off its track catching you again carrying right on

    id love to see the first lawsuit that resulted when it missed

  3. @Hackerspacer… I’ve been bending my mind in every direction but… what possible applications (in terms of ‘adult’ machinery) could your ‘friend’ have had in mind?
    I wouldnt let this thing juggle my balls, i’ll tell you that much

  4. very impressive.
    20 years ago, i would have said this was the stuff of science fiction. the noise sounds like something out of a david cronenberg film.

    how long do people think it will be before countries are routinely using robots (not just uavs) in warfare, either autonomously (scary) or remotely. I’m saying less than ten years.

  5. Anyone else get slightly annoyed every time someone goes on about skynet? Meh, maybe I just need some coffee, cool robot, though if what @Robot says is true…its lost its coolness. I would be really impressed if it could handle new ball models on the fly (lighter/more bouncy/oddly shaped).

  6. In the next decade, I foresee millions of jugglers losing their jobs as CEOs opt for automated systems like this.

    On the plus side, the increased efficiency of production will flood the juggling market, dropping consumer prices significantly.

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