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Great Ball Contraption (GBC)_2
This is my second ball contraption. What is basically does is move NXT balls around in interesting patterns. I got the idea to use NXT balls in a ball contraption from "mindstorms-teen"'s project "Ball Contraption," and possibly from another ball contraption using NXT balls. I think this is the first ball contraption that I have seen that has two separate series of devices that deliver balls. During the description, this machine may sometimes be referred to as "GBC_2."

Posted by:

 NatoNX

Created:

 27 January 2010

Rate:

 

Tags:(?):

 ballcontraption, gbc, balls, contraption, nxt, rcx, technic, crazycontraption

Ball Pathways

GBC_2 has series of devices which balls can take. The rough ball route of the series is signified by the red and green markings in the first picture. Both series start and end at the Ball Freeway, a tilted construction on which the balls roll. It is circled in yellow. It is tilted towards the bottom side of the picture, towards the gate. The gate tilts left and right, as seen in the second and third pictures, to let balls onto either the first or second series of devices.

Ball Pathway One

This is the first series of devices. First, the gate is opened to the right and one ball falls into the Ball Elevator, a construction that can go up and down. The Ball Elevator rises up, and pushes the ball off onto a series of ramps (picture one and two). The ball completes the ramps and falls into the Mine Cart (picture three). (The battery in the mine cart is to increase weight over its drive wheels, hopefully increasing traction.) The Mine Cart travels down guide rails to the right of the machine until it reaches the end (picture four). The Mine Cart flicks the ball into the first ball lift, where it lifted back into the top of the Ball Freeway.

Ball Pathway Two

This ball series of devices moves balls through them much more quickly then the first series does. In this series, first, the balls go down the powered treads, and fall off the end onto a small ramp and into the catapult. There is a light sensor at the high end of the ramp, intended to detect balls as they go into the catapult (picture one). When it detects one, the treads stop, it waits, then the catapult flings the ball into the second ball lift (picture two). That ball lift was designed to bring balls up (picture three) to the device that they roll back to the Ball Freeway on (picture four).

Video

Here is a video of GBC_2. The first part of the video demonstrates a ball going through the first series of devices. The second part of the video displays balls going through the second series of devices. Partway through the video, I restarted the program for the NXT operating most of the second series' devices so it would work. I may have done that multiple times during the video. Thanks for looking! NatoNX

Comments

10 most recent comments out of 30  [VIEW ALL]
  • NatoNX

  • spacedude1234567, thanks! HaydenStudios, that's a IR link.

  • Posted 1218 days and 22 hours ago


  • BluetoothBoy

  • Awesome! I would never have the patience to build that (and some people say I have a lot of patience)! Nice going! Also, sorry I haven't been around lately on NXTLOG. I haven't had much building inspiration lately. Check out my Wall-E, please. And, If you haven't already, check out my bro's (airboy1999's) ship on Lego Universe. It's awesome!

  • Posted 1216 days and 23 hours ago


  • spyxe

  • amazing!

  • Posted 1095 days and 22 hours ago


  • TheGuy299

  • Not bad,not bad...

  • Posted 1030 days and 4 hours ago


  • TheGuy299

  • Can you post ldd for some modules?I really want to build contraption.

  • Posted 972 days and 9 hours ago


  • NatoNX

  • TheGuy299, thanks for commenting! Some of these modules are pretty simple, so could I just explain some of the less complex ones? The ball freeway was many beams attached parallel to each other. Its front and rear sides were fastened to the plate using studded pieces with holes in them. The catapult was a NXT motor attached to a forward beam construction with bent pieces on the end.

  • Posted 970 days and 18 hours ago


  • Koolstr1200

  • THAT IS SO COOL I've seen almost all of your most complex designs! Their so awesome!

  • Posted 801 days and 4 hours ago


  • douglasjaymiller

  • Really Cool. How many motors did that use?

  • Posted 551 days and 1 hour ago


  • Albertaboys

  • That's really awesome! I especially like the catapult!

  • Posted 442 days and 6 hours ago


  • Albertaboys

  • That's really awesome! I especially like the catapult!

  • Posted 442 days and 6 hours ago


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