If IKEA made ball-balancing PID robots, they’d probably look like this one.
This [Johan Link] build isn’t just about style. A look under the hood reveals not the standard, off-the-shelf microcontroller development board you might expect. Instead, [Johan] designed and built his own board with an ATmega32 to run the three servos that control the platform. The entire apparatus is made from a dozen or so 3D-printed parts that interlock to form the base, the platform, and the housing for the USB webcam that’s perched on an aluminum tube. From that vantage point, the camera’s images are analyzed with OpenCV and the center of the ball is located. A PID loop controls the three servos to center the ball on the platform, or razzle-dazzle it a little by moving the ball in a controlled circle. It’s quite a build, and the video below shows it in action.
We’ve seen a few balancing platforms before, but few with such style. This Stewart platform comes close, and this juggling platform gets extra points for closing the control loop with audio feedback. And for juggling, of course.
If IKEA were to make these, i would buy it. True work of art!
très élégant
Wow, this is very nicely made. Cool project and very well executed, thanks for posting.
Being able to catch the ball when it is thrown at it is really something.
Really. I wonder what the update rate is.
Why do I hate RC servos motors so much?
hobby servos certainly have an incredibly unpleasant noise to them
we can only hope that eventually they will all be replaced by near silent sensored brushless and stepper motors
there are already brushless servos. servos are noisy because of the gear train, not the motor.
It’d be a lot more stable if that stick didn’t keep poking it.
Maybe one could do away with the webcam by having the three arms sense the weight differential that varies depending on the position of the ball.
That would really be impressive. I wonder how much of a signal you could get back from each servo?
These videos should start with “what can it do”, followed by “how it works” and finish with “how it was made”. Partially revealing shots and heartful motivational music should be banned.
Didn’t I see this on Thingiverse at least a week ago?
Lots of people post projects on multiple sites. I happened to see this one on Instructables.