Why you don't let students design real products

[sdifox]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bI06lujiD7E


Now that is awesome.

 

[hanoverphist]

Here was more what I was thinking.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bI06lujiD7E

if you could turn that into a motorized wheelbarrow of some sort with a good amount of weight capacity, that would be innovative, expandable and really cool.

i also want to make one i can ride. doesnt matter if it never gets over 20mph, the fun value would still be there. especially if it was ultra portable.

 

[trungma]

They could add spherical tread patterns later on, seems like they are just testing the ability to move/drive on balls.

The ball surface contact to the road is almost next to nil. Actually, I think you can't get any less.

 

[dawp]

The ball surface contact to the road is almost next to nil. Actually, I think you can't get any less.

maybe for a hard ball but if it like our current tires it could be adjusted with air pressure.

 

[videogames101]

Who gives a shit about practicality, it's a design project and they clearly know the design has MANY drawbacks. That being said, it's awesome that they're trying to make it work.

 

[sdifox]

Who gives a shit about practicality, it's a design project and they clearly know the design has MANY drawbacks. That being said, it's awesome that they're trying to make it work.

Then it's an art project...

 

[sdifox]

maybe for a hard ball but if it like our current tires it could be adjusted with air pressure.

the your drive system goes kaput

 

[MrPickins]

Like someone said above, these projects are about overcoming challenges and they often lead to proving smaller basic functionality concepts than the end goal. They might perfect 1 or 2 of the moving parts in this project which could lead to another completely different invention or discovery.

This was my line of thought as well.

The end result of the project is not really viable, but the individual components, software, etc. very well could be useful in future products.

Besides, its a school project. Who cares?

 

[Throckmorton]

Why are people saying the globes don't act as gyroscopes? As long as the bike can't roll sideways on the globes, then they are gyroscopes just like wheels are.

 

[phucheneh]

Why are people saying the globes don't act as gyroscopes? As long as the bike can't roll sideways on the globes, then they are gyroscopes just like wheels are.

I don't see an axle sticking through said globes. If there were, it would just be a really dumb motorcycle tire with lots of unusable tread.

Any gyroscopic effect generated by the globes while moving forward is entirely dependent on the shopping cart wheel keeping them from rolling sideways...

...waitaminute, I missed it. That wheel is fixed perpendicular to the forward axis. So the ball can't even roll forward without it slipping. Essentially, this is a motorcycle that can balance itself in place with no kickstand.

See, now THAT is engineering fail on the most hardcore of levels.

Goal: make a self-balancing motorcycle that requires no kickstand.

They submit that.

I submit a concrete brick wearing a fedora.

...I win. Neither entry functions as a motorcycle, but my 'invention' is more stable and reliable. And has a cool hat.