Carnegie Mellon's Ballbot could teach Segway a thing or two

Those humanoid robots are all well and good if you've got 30 minutes to watch ASIMO manage a 360 degree turn, but some researchers at Carnegie Mellon have been spending some time trying to figure out a bot that could actually be useful in the here and now. Their result is the Ballbot, a 95 pound unit that balances on a single metal sphere, and is tall enough to look a person in the eye. The robot can manage a smooth floor easily, and is designed for navigating human environments. When it isn't moving, the Ballbot has retractable "kickstands" to hold it up. The next step for the Ballbot is a head and pair of arms to help the robot balance and turn, and the eventual goal is a robot that is a useful helper to the elderly, disabled, or those in an office environment. We're just looking forward to shouting "Ballbot, beer me!"

[Via CNET]

[.ed @ Aug 11th 2006 11:40AM]

at 95 pounds, isnt that a little heavy to pick up if it falls?

looking at the design, i say put the bulk lower and throw lightweight cameras and sensors alone at the top...

that's not to say i'm not really impressed...

**goes back to mindstorms NXT kit**

[John Sununu @ Aug 11th 2006 12:07PM]

I, for one, welcome our tall Ballbot overlords.

[Johnr @ Aug 11th 2006 12:11PM]

This reminds me of gizmoduck from ducktales (balancing on a single wheel)

[CJ @ Aug 11th 2006 12:17PM]

"and is designed for navigating human environments."

Not many human environments I know are devoid of stairs (or consist completely of smooth floors), but those upgrades will be in the next version, I'm sure...

[DustinTarditi @ Aug 11th 2006 12:28PM]

Exterminate! Exterminate!

[Ketsuke @ Aug 11th 2006 12:52PM]

but can it find Sarah Connor?

[Unimaginative @ Aug 11th 2006 1:01PM]

Why use stairs when you can use elevators? At Carnegie Mellon there's a robot that nagivates around one of the buildings by calling and using elevators. Works for any office environment I've been in.

Plus, if the intention is to help the elderly or handicapped the environment might already be wheelchair/ballbot friendly.

[farris== 101* Rx = _ @ Aug 11th 2006 1:11PM]

actually, #1 (.ed), try taking a hammer and balancing it with the heavy end down. then try it with the heavy end up.

its got a fancy physics name that i cant remember (i think it has to do with inertia), but i do know that its much more difficult to keep the light end up.

just my $0.02

[Stephen @ Aug 11th 2006 1:16PM]

I think (caveat: it's a Friday) in this case, you don't want the CG to be low on dynamically stable system, i.e., a system that requires motion to be stable.

Think of this way: hold a broom upside-down on your hand and try balancing it. Pretty easy. Now flip it around and try the same. Not so easy.

We all know that when the CG is high on a statically stable system, it is more susceptible to perturbations and vice versa, e.g., tall SUVs are more likely to rollover than low sports cars, and low CGs on sports cars make them transition quicker, i.e., better handling.

However, A high CG "slows" things down to where "something", like your hand/brain or computer, can react, for both statically and dynamically stable systems. So in this case, the high CG is good because it gives the computers and control algorithms a chance to react so the beers the professors and grad students put on it don't end up on the floor.

Like I said, I think I'm right but ask me after 5PM when the number of beers consumed becomes proportional to how confident I am that I am right.

You in the back of the classroom, stop giggling, I said PER-terbation.

[Jerry Kindall @ Aug 11th 2006 1:54PM]

The danger of shouting "Ballbot, beer me" is that after a few beers, you'll accidentally shout "Beerbot, ball me" and you'll never be the same again.

[Ralph Hollis @ Aug 11th 2006 3:27PM]

Stephen,

You are exactly right! Couldn't have said it better myself. Regards, Ralph Hollis

[Paul Blond� @ Aug 11th 2006 3:44PM]

Hmm...canned by a can. But what effect would that have on the gyroscope(s), if there are any?

[Stephen @ Aug 11th 2006 5:09PM]

Ralph,

If what you're saying is true and I'm exactly right, wouldn't that make you exactly drunk?

It's 5 PM, I'll be joining you shortly.

[Sam Jackson @ Aug 11th 2006 5:15PM]

Jerry,

HAhahah.. you bring sunshine to my cube, sir.

[Sam Jackson @ Aug 11th 2006 5:17PM]

I'm with you guys on the 5 oclock thing. Unfortunetly it's only 4:15 CST. Time to split early. I feel bad for our west coast compadres. I'll poor a little out for you 2:15 guys..

Beerbot! oh shi..

[Churn @ Aug 11th 2006 11:51PM]

Perhaps if they combine this with a biped/quadruped (retractable legs) then it would be able to roll around with the ball on smooth surfaces (potentially faster and smoother), and use the legs when it comes to uneven surfaces (stairs or others)

[genoma @ Aug 12th 2006 4:50AM]

So what happens when that thing runs out of juice?

[Bilete avion @ Aug 14th 2006 4:17AM]

you would have to push it :P

[Andrew @ Aug 15th 2006 11:23AM]

I'm sure that they could make ballbot sophisticated enough to charge itself. Roombas do it all the time and they look like little cockroaches next to ballbot.

Has anyone else been wondering why they made it 95 pounds? I would like one that is 300 pounds and 10 feet tall. That way it can carry me like Luke carries Yoda.

[Tom Phillips @ Aug 15th 2006 8:25PM]

OK, I've been waiting for this. Now put a flat platform on it, say like a surf board. I want to stand on it and surf around controling it with weight shift. Make the ball bigger, put an engine on it for power and away we go, land surfing!

[[ Donal ] @ Aug 20th 2006 12:49PM]

BEER ME!!!!!!