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I designed a cube that balances itself on a corner

gniv
7 replies
1h1m

This is cool. Is this how robots normally balance themselves, or are there implementations that don't require spinning wheels?

phkahler
2 replies
58m

If you've got 2 wheels side by side like a Segway, all you need is the IMU and those 2 wheels.

gniv
1 replies
56m

True, but for something like this, would it work with a magnet?

rvnx
0 replies
52m
CaptainOfCoit
2 replies
55m

or are there implementations that don't require spinning wheels

Tons of different implementations out there for balancing. Maybe the most common one is the one we humans use, which requires zero wheels :)

noman-land
1 replies
53m

How does ours work?

WJW
0 replies
29m

Legs

mrjet
0 replies
56m

Most robots are passively balanced by having multiple wheels on the ground. Walking robots balance actively without active gyros by moving their limbs.

Spacecraft (which most roboticists would call robots) typically orient themselves using a combination of reaction wheels, magnetic torquers and thrusters. The reaction wheels spin rotate the aircraft by “taking” angular momentum into their own rotation. They don’t require a local magnetic field or the expenditure of fuel, so are a nice choice.

sema4hacker
4 replies
1h19m

I'm actually more enamored with the cool look of the thing rather than the fact that it can balance.

ayhanfuat
3 replies
1h14m

Same. Immediately checked if it is for sale (apparently it costs $2500 if you do it yourself).

JKCalhoun
1 replies
50m

Would be fun to try and low-cost it. I can already imagine replacing the aluminum face parts with laser-cut acrylic. It also sounds like the motors are another expensive part that likely can be low-costed.

The stainless steel flywheels though..... No ideas.

pavel_lishin
0 replies
46m

I wonder if it would be possible to balance this thing by sloshing fluid around, or with linear actuators moving weights around.

Or maybe a pair of motors, moving two circles with weights on their rims around, to shift the center of gravity around until it's stable enough to park them on opposite sides?

pavel_lishin
0 replies
50m

I wonder what the cheapest possible build for something like this is, if you loosen enough constraints - let's say, if we allow it to be externally powered, and agree that size doesn't matter.

Would it be cheaper (and/or safer) to build a larger one, allowing for larger-but-slower flywheels? Could you make one out of a couple of scrap bicycles?

neom
4 replies
54m

Great art. This other thing he built is totally different, but just as fun to look at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P9jyNIWsRvI

I love engineers who make art so much.

amelius
1 replies
49m

I wouldn't say this other project is totally different. In fact, he can probably easily combine the two!

neom
0 replies
48m

It would be fun if the LEDs changed or did something special based on the rotation.. :o

sorenjan
0 replies
48m

I remember seeing his M&M sorting machine several years ago: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ceGlMV4sHnk

layer8
0 replies
37m

Now make it operate silently so that I can actually put it in my living room. ;)

navane
4 replies
58m

Reminds me of the self balancing train that rode on a single, small rail track. Project got cancelled because the double rail system was already well established.

ravenstine
1 replies
48m

Isn't it more likely that idea got abandoned because a failure of the balancing system would be catastrophic?

rvnx
0 replies
42m

+ intensive in terms of energy usage + needed a second gyro to feel like you are standing in a flat environment.

progval
0 replies
45m
nealabq
0 replies
18m

Note that reaction wheels do not make use of gyroscopic torque (which balances these monorails). They are different control mechanisms. Altho both use spinning wheels.

More info: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Control_moment_gyroscope

dave333
4 replies
1h2m

So cool! Wondering if this technology can be used to control spacecraft attitude or does it require a fixed support? How heavy do the flywheels need to be in relation to the total weight?

CaptainOfCoit
1 replies
56m

Wondering if this technology can be used to control spacecraft attitude

It can indeed, and is already used in the wild today!

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reaction_wheel#Examples_of_spa...

jessriedel
0 replies
51m

That list has three examples, but to be clear for others: Nearly every satellite has reaction wheels. There are literally tens of thousands of reaction wheels in orbit.

glfharris
0 replies
56m

Totally does work, lots of spacecraft use reaction wheels to control attitude.

auxym
0 replies
59m

As mentioned in the article, reaction wheels are the standard method used to control satellite attitude.

hirako2000
3 replies
59m

On sundays I usually get hyped reaching new heights with code. Gratified by pushing perseverance and crearivity. then I come across posts like this one and feel totally powerless, having very short patience span, and too scared to even try such things.

pavel_lishin
1 replies
49m

Yeah, but this is kind of orthogonal to what you and I do.

I felt pretty good over the past few weeks after finally starting to learn React on the side, and building something that some of my friends are going to use. Sure, it doesn't have the "whoa" factor, but it also didn't cost $2500 to build (not including the years [decades?]) spent learning.

rvnx
0 replies
33m

If you feel bad about yourself because of that, think of it not like something personal, it's a lot connected to the environment you are from, and some factors cannot be controlled.

It's actually the ultimate sign of luxury when you have time to study, AND resources to go to a good school, AND enough free time and money to spend on gadgets, AND you can afford to throw thousands on something useless, etc.

(All that said, the creation is cool and very nice work from Willem specifically)

ASalazarMX
0 replies
52m

Why are you on Hacker News instead of practicing your software engineering skills? -50 points for Griffindor!

amelius
2 replies
1h8m

Next I want to see a pencil that balances itself on its tip.

pavel_lishin
0 replies
49m

What about a coin that always lands on its edge?

ASalazarMX
0 replies
49m

If the pencil can be very short, just put this cube on top of it.

omoikane
1 replies
59m

My first reaction when I see one of these is "where can I buy one?" And then I realize that it's not unlike having an open-face blender with those flywheels spinning at 6000 rpm. I am not sure I would feel comfortable with something like that near my hands.

binarymax
0 replies
42m

Maybe some thin plexiglass around it would be fine - not sure if it would compromise the mechanism though.

kibwen
1 replies
53m

Very cool! I'd like to see one of these made into a permanent sculpture, where the battery is removed and energy is provided via the contact plate itself.

neom
0 replies
50m

We need to get the guy who made this one and Tony Rosenthal together, unfortunately, however, Tony is dead.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tony_Rosenthal

cmehdy
1 replies
56m

Like any experienced controls engineer, I spent a few days flipping the signs of various signals before I got them right.

As somebody with a M.Sc. in controls & signal processing (who ended up doing way more boring things), I always figured that I was doing that because I wasn't experienced enough. Turns out I also had the sign wrong on that one all along!

bchasknga
0 replies
12m

You are not alone. I've come to terms with the reality that every controller I've designed and implemented will always need a good amount of unit test coverage to ensure proper behavior (like signs and directions)...

stuaxo
0 replies
32m

What a pleasing object.

rq1
0 replies
1h5m

Probability courses would be funny with that thing.

Roll the dice.

renewiltord
0 replies
38m

Haha this is great, dude. Man it looks so well machined too.

pradn
0 replies
6m

This is exactly the sort of artifact you expect a wizard to have floating above their hand on a fantasy pulp's cover, circa 1955.

philipwhiuk
0 replies
51m

Can someone explain the reason for the massive font-size on the website?

otto2
0 replies
1h5m

Cool functionality aside, it looks beautiful.

mavili
0 replies
20m

Impressive work! Some people have all the time in the world it seems!

That said, it's not really "designing" if you're "building" something that already exists, is it?

maelito
0 replies
17m

Makes me think to the Brennan monorail train.

Very interesting video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kUYzuAJeg3M.

lh7777
0 replies
25m

I plan to add mechanical brakes to the reaction wheels...This enables jump-up manoeuvers which in turn enable the cube to get to its equilibrium position on its own.

Looking forward to this -- I always thought that was the coolest part of the Cubli project. Here's a video: https://youtu.be/n_6p-1J551Y?t=92

johanneskanybal
0 replies
33m

Well I need one.

enjoyitasus
0 replies
50m

The OA

beoberha
0 replies
14m

I very much enjoy my career as a software engineer, but man there’s a side of me that wishes I had studied something where I could even begin to build something like this. Super super cool!