Curiosity Collective

Buying bits for Swollenballs

Posted by Cefn on 07 January 2006 | 1 Comments

While I’m about buying electronics components I’m picking up bits and pieces to implement a basic version of Dave’s Huberman Sphere of Fear.

Basically I reckon the most flexible configuration needs a moderately powerful stepper motor, an array of transistors to handle the higher voltages to drive the motor, and (yet another) ultrasonic detector, with a microcontroller to control the behaviour.

If the detection ranges are small enough (< 2 metres), it might be possible to use a cheaper analog distance sensor, and a simpler circuit to control it. While this will be cheaper (the analogue Infrared distance detectors are £6 instead of £15 plus for the ultrasonic ones, microcontrollers costs around £25 plus), it involves a lot more mental effort. So I’m going to pick up the components for the more expensive approach. We can re-use these elements easily for some other fun project if they are surplus.

I gather that the physical rigging of the huberman sphere (to stop it jamming) still requires a bit of extra engineering though. Probably a good idea (if the sphere is big enough) to suspend it so that it’s out of reach when it retracts, to stop people messing about. Might be a nice effect anyway to have it untouchable.

Are you still buying the huge one from Hamleys, Dave?

Posted in: Miscellaneous