http://www.engadget.com/2006/08/11/carnegie-mellons-ballbot-could-teach-segway-a-thing-or-two/ Engadget Comments for Carnegie Mellon's Ballbot could teach Segway a thing or two http://www.engadget.com/media/feedlogo.gif http://www.engadget.com en-us Copyright 2012 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/http://www.engadget.com/2006/08/11/carnegie-mellons-ballbot-could-teach-segway-a-thing-or-two/http://www.engadget.com/2006/08/11/carnegie-mellons-ballbot-could-teach-segway-a-thing-or-two/
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**
]]>Aug 11th 2006 11:40AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2006/08/11/carnegie-mellons-ballbot-could-teach-segway-a-thing-or-two/http://www.engadget.com/2006/08/11/carnegie-mellons-ballbot-could-teach-segway-a-thing-or-two/Aug 11th 2006 12:07PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2006/08/11/carnegie-mellons-ballbot-could-teach-segway-a-thing-or-two/http://www.engadget.com/2006/08/11/carnegie-mellons-ballbot-could-teach-segway-a-thing-or-two/Aug 11th 2006 12:11PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2006/08/11/carnegie-mellons-ballbot-could-teach-segway-a-thing-or-two/http://www.engadget.com/2006/08/11/carnegie-mellons-ballbot-could-teach-segway-a-thing-or-two/
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...]]>Aug 11th 2006 12:17PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2006/08/11/carnegie-mellons-ballbot-could-teach-segway-a-thing-or-two/http://www.engadget.com/2006/08/11/carnegie-mellons-ballbot-could-teach-segway-a-thing-or-two/Aug 11th 2006 12:28PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2006/08/11/carnegie-mellons-ballbot-could-teach-segway-a-thing-or-two/http://www.engadget.com/2006/08/11/carnegie-mellons-ballbot-could-teach-segway-a-thing-or-two/Aug 11th 2006 12:52PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2006/08/11/carnegie-mellons-ballbot-could-teach-segway-a-thing-or-two/http://www.engadget.com/2006/08/11/carnegie-mellons-ballbot-could-teach-segway-a-thing-or-two/
Plus, if the intention is to help the elderly or handicapped the environment might already be wheelchair/ballbot friendly. ]]>Aug 11th 2006 1:01PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2006/08/11/carnegie-mellons-ballbot-could-teach-segway-a-thing-or-two/http://www.engadget.com/2006/08/11/carnegie-mellons-ballbot-could-teach-segway-a-thing-or-two/
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]]> 101* Rx = > /_]]>Aug 11th 2006 1:11PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2006/08/11/carnegie-mellons-ballbot-could-teach-segway-a-thing-or-two/http://www.engadget.com/2006/08/11/carnegie-mellons-ballbot-could-teach-segway-a-thing-or-two/
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.

]]>Aug 11th 2006 1:16PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2006/08/11/carnegie-mellons-ballbot-could-teach-segway-a-thing-or-two/http://www.engadget.com/2006/08/11/carnegie-mellons-ballbot-could-teach-segway-a-thing-or-two/Aug 11th 2006 1:54PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2006/08/11/carnegie-mellons-ballbot-could-teach-segway-a-thing-or-two/http://www.engadget.com/2006/08/11/carnegie-mellons-ballbot-could-teach-segway-a-thing-or-two/
You are exactly right! Couldn't have said it better myself. Regards, Ralph Hollis]]>Aug 11th 2006 3:27PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2006/08/11/carnegie-mellons-ballbot-could-teach-segway-a-thing-or-two/http://www.engadget.com/2006/08/11/carnegie-mellons-ballbot-could-teach-segway-a-thing-or-two/]]>Aug 11th 2006 3:44PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2006/08/11/carnegie-mellons-ballbot-could-teach-segway-a-thing-or-two/http://www.engadget.com/2006/08/11/carnegie-mellons-ballbot-could-teach-segway-a-thing-or-two/
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.]]>Aug 11th 2006 5:09PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2006/08/11/carnegie-mellons-ballbot-could-teach-segway-a-thing-or-two/http://www.engadget.com/2006/08/11/carnegie-mellons-ballbot-could-teach-segway-a-thing-or-two/
HAhahah.. you bring sunshine to my cube, sir. ]]>Aug 11th 2006 5:15PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2006/08/11/carnegie-mellons-ballbot-could-teach-segway-a-thing-or-two/http://www.engadget.com/2006/08/11/carnegie-mellons-ballbot-could-teach-segway-a-thing-or-two/
Beerbot! oh shi..
]]>Aug 11th 2006 5:17PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2006/08/11/carnegie-mellons-ballbot-could-teach-segway-a-thing-or-two/http://www.engadget.com/2006/08/11/carnegie-mellons-ballbot-could-teach-segway-a-thing-or-two/Aug 11th 2006 11:51PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2006/08/11/carnegie-mellons-ballbot-could-teach-segway-a-thing-or-two/http://www.engadget.com/2006/08/11/carnegie-mellons-ballbot-could-teach-segway-a-thing-or-two/Aug 12th 2006 4:50AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2006/08/11/carnegie-mellons-ballbot-could-teach-segway-a-thing-or-two/http://www.engadget.com/2006/08/11/carnegie-mellons-ballbot-could-teach-segway-a-thing-or-two/Aug 14th 2006 4:17AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2006/08/11/carnegie-mellons-ballbot-could-teach-segway-a-thing-or-two/http://www.engadget.com/2006/08/11/carnegie-mellons-ballbot-could-teach-segway-a-thing-or-two/
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.]]>Aug 15th 2006 11:23AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2006/08/11/carnegie-mellons-ballbot-could-teach-segway-a-thing-or-two/http://www.engadget.com/2006/08/11/carnegie-mellons-ballbot-could-teach-segway-a-thing-or-two/Aug 15th 2006 8:25PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2006/08/11/carnegie-mellons-ballbot-could-teach-segway-a-thing-or-two/http://www.engadget.com/2006/08/11/carnegie-mellons-ballbot-could-teach-segway-a-thing-or-two/Aug 20th 2006 12:49PM