Comments on: CMU Ballbot http://www.suicidebots.com/2006/12/23/cmu-ballbot/ Tue, 06 Jan 2009 22:27:39 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.7 hourly 1 By: SB http://www.suicidebots.com/2006/12/23/cmu-ballbot/comment-page-1/#comment-619 SB Wed, 27 Dec 2006 23:23:23 +0000 http://www.suicidebots.com/2006/12/23/cmu-ballbot/#comment-619 Good point - We'll have to look for that article, or maybe someone in Venerable Pittsburgh can give us the 411? Good point - We’ll have to look for that article, or maybe someone in Venerable Pittsburgh can give us the 411?

]]> By: dcb http://www.suicidebots.com/2006/12/23/cmu-ballbot/comment-page-1/#comment-616 dcb Wed, 27 Dec 2006 20:25:59 +0000 http://www.suicidebots.com/2006/12/23/cmu-ballbot/#comment-616 I read in another article somewhere about this guy that the ball is in fact hollow and rubberized - they want a nice low inertia ball so the base can move more quickly to get under the top of the thing when it's out of balance. I read in another article somewhere about this guy that the ball is in fact hollow and rubberized - they want a nice low inertia ball so the base can move more quickly to get under the top of the thing when it’s out of balance.

]]> By: SB http://www.suicidebots.com/2006/12/23/cmu-ballbot/comment-page-1/#comment-595 SB Tue, 26 Dec 2006 18:58:47 +0000 http://www.suicidebots.com/2006/12/23/cmu-ballbot/#comment-595 Also, I'll bet the bottom of the 'bot looks like a bowling ball because it is! base-heavy, long things are way easier to balance than short, light things. This is why it is way more impressive to see a guy in a dive bar somewhere balance a dollar bill on his nose than it is to see another guy on Letterman balance a canoe on his chin. The canoe's a piece of cake, the dollar bill is freakin' hard (*you* try it). The buck's especially hard if you've been taking advantage of the bar's 2-for-1 special on pitchers of Pabst Blue Ribbon. Mmm, science. Also, I’ll bet the bottom of the ‘bot looks like a bowling ball because it is! base-heavy, long things are way easier to balance than short, light things.

This is why it is way more impressive to see a guy in a dive bar somewhere balance a dollar bill on his nose than it is to see another guy on Letterman balance a canoe on his chin. The canoe’s a piece of cake, the dollar bill is freakin’ hard (*you* try it).

The buck’s especially hard if you’ve been taking advantage of the bar’s 2-for-1 special on pitchers of Pabst Blue Ribbon.

Mmm, science.

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