You may remember Ballbot from last year, an omnidirectional balancing robot straight out of science fiction.
It appears to be a popular idea. Take a look at these robots that are able to balance on a single ball, using it for locomotion. The first two appear to be DIY projects, while the third seems to have some additional financial backing.
This next robot balances on a ball using LEGO Mindstorms NXT computing power.
Here's another robot able to balance on a rigid ball with sufficient control to balance a beaker of water on its head.
And here's Ballbot, from Carnegie Mellon (read more about Ballbot).
Thanks to an anonymous reader who suggested this idea.
Scroll down for more stories in the same category. (Story submitted 3/30/2010)
Technovelgy (that's tech-novel-gee!)
is devoted to the creative science inventions and ideas of sf authors. Look for
the Invention Category that interests
you, the Glossary, the Invention
Timeline, or see what's New.
A System To Defeat AI Face Recognition
'...points and patches of light... sliding all over their faces in a programmed manner that had been designed to foil facial recognition systems.'
Smart TVs Are Listening!
'You had to live -- did live, from habit that became instinct -- in the assumption that every sound you made was overheard...'