Ball and Plate control using FLEX board

At the Retis laboratory of Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna, a steel ball was maintained at the centre of a metallic plate using FLEX board.

 

Latest update:

  • March 2010: The complete ready-to-use system named as "Amazing Ball", as seen in demo video below is now commercially available.

Check product details!

  • An article (in Italian) titled "Equilibrio (quasi) perpetuo" features on the Italian Focus monthly magazine. Check the download section below.

 

 

A steel ball was continiously balanced and maintained, preventing it from rolling over or falling down from the centre of a vibrating metallic plate using FLEX board with two servomoters.

A touchscreen was used to take the position of the steel ball.

Authors

  • Francesco Prosperi, Retis Lab. (Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna)

Software

None

Hardware

  • FLEX board hosting Microchip dsPIC DSC
  • Two servomotors
  • Touchscreen
  • Steel ball
  • Metallic plate

 

Download

Article titled "Equilibrio (quasi) perpetuo".

External links

http://retis.sssup.it/

Demo video

dsPIC Ball & Plate with Touchscreen and Servomotors