I Built a Ball Balancing Robot

[@AaedMusa]

I don’t know why I played Tetris in this video either

[@reginaldbowls7180]

Can you balance 2 balls?

[@Jiglias]

lmao

[@t.d.3803]

I thought it was a metaphor.

[@N8rBeans]

bro im not gonna lie i thought i was watching a video from someone with like 1+ mill subs until i saw below. ur content is insane keep up the amazing work also ur a genius

[@AaedMusa]

🙏🙏

[@Max-wm2gy]

Same hahahhaa

[@TheMrJackzilla]

Same here

[@birdie8085]

Exactly

[@13lueSouL]

just a matter of time with this quality of content

[@twistedsteel6290]

It would be cool to map the screen of your phone to the surface of the balancer and then use touch location to change the target location of the ball so you could move your finger around and have the ball motion match it

[@fluffyflunk]

Or you could have a recording mode where you draw a shape on the surface with the ball and then the machine repeats that drawing.

[@cameronmadalone3849]

yesss that would be so cool

[@chubbymann]

Jesus loves you he died for everyone's sins, he is coming soon, if you want to receive Jesus as the lord and savior of your life say this and believe in your heart, say: Jesus today I accept you as the lord of my life come in my life I believe that you are the Son of GOD and that you died for my sins and that you rose up on the third day, thank you that I am now a child of GOD and that my sins are forgiven amen

[@Selfishboyo]

​@@chubbymannI don't follow Christianity so might not love me

[@Selfishboyo]

@@sandstorm7883 Oh, that's good

[@DarthLoI]

PUT A BEYBLADE ON IT!!!

[@teknobalance]

+1

[@Francois_Dupont]

it will destroy the touch pad.

[@cainanlove8432]

​@@Francois_Dupont Do it anyways!

[@sirpotatoman3248]

@@teknobalance*+100 genius

[@LimabeanStudios]

This might be the first project I actually end up making after watching a video. I want two smaller versions of these moving around a tracking passing the ball back and fourth.

[@ErikPelyukhno]

That sounds like a really fun challenge!

[@jlumley]

That's exactly what i was thinking multiple pads, playing catch.

[@dr.angerous]

Where is your shit u trash liar shit

[@medienmond]

Awesome. Really awesome what you did there. As a IT professional and senior software engineer i have to give my upmost respect to you and the result of your work. The Idea, design and development - time consuming, 3D-modelling - not as simple as pi, electrical concept and wiring - advanced stuff and not easy, the basic programming to get it run - wow, many coworkers i had in my lifetime we'e not able to do even basics like that, Getting the final movements to perform like that - a masterpiece - finally making a video that rocks - Take a deep look into KZbin and have no luck finding a technical project with such a presentation. Even If you simplified at many places, i really like what you have done. My own awesome projects get never really documented or even made public, with just myself being the only one having fun with these things when i get to see and use them. I hope to See from you again, as these minutes watching and writing were totally worth it.

[@dannylumcreative]

Dude really impressive. You made the engineering so digestible! Subbed instantly keep it up

[@Bruhwhatthesigmaohio]

I’m subed bitch

[@dr.unventor]

This is so cool! The touch pad was a really smart way of finding the ball’s position

[@juestone]

Put a screen under it that draws a line wherever a ball moves like a tracer. It’ll make the patterns look so much more like patterns instead of the robot trying to balance it awkwardly. Anyway nice job!

[@robbymrodrigez]

Would you consider doing a PID project where the constants are controlled by potentiometers? It could be cool to be able to see the working values physically represented and watching the platform's reaction as you change the values in real time.

[@tristanfirepro]

That’s actually fairly easy to do! You just have to do a series of PID op amps and change the resistors to POTs.

[@BobofWOGGLE]

​@@tristanfirepro don't mean to dump on you but pots isn't an initialism or acronym, it's just short for potentiometers. few if any will be offended if you don't capitalize it.

[@porn72]

wtf is this nerd bs lmao

[@tristanfirepro]

​@@BobofWOGGLE I'm not sure what I was on when I typed that comment haha. I think I must've felt the need to capitalize another three letter word after PID! Anyway, it gets the point across. Most schematics have POT as a reference designator anyways so it's difficult to be confused with anything else. Thanks for the heads up!

[@techchrism]

Absolutely incredible video and by far the best project of this type that I've seen

[@AaedMusa]

Appreciate it!

[@oksje]

​@@AaedMusa won't be balanced anymore after I devour that ball

[@YMilkshake]

I was like "wouldn't you be able to program different shapes the ball could move in on it's own? And then the madman actually did it! Sick video, very well structured and easy to follow :D

[@lolvks]

I hope you continue to refine the design! Such a thing would make for an amazing desk toy.

[@ehrix4468]

I’m learning engineering in college but idk if I could even fathom learning what was said in this video. It sounded like knowledge that would take me over 4 years to learn. Amazing info and video!

[@stuffandymakes1648]

Now, put paper on the platform, rub ink all over the ball, and program it to write cute little notes to people.

[@MurdockEx]

This made me think about old CRT monitors paired with light pens for a faux touch screen and the idea of a heavy and dangerous CRT tilting back and forth on loud mechanics brings me joy. But also fantastic work, writing and editing. Absolutely amazing.

[@AlexMVW10]

The production value on this video from a guy with less then 8k subscribers is absolutely insane, keep qt it brother! Very interesting, educational video!!

[@pamhunametalle9152]

"less then 8k"? ..day ago?

[@AlexMVW10]

​@pamhunametalle9152 yes it was less then 8k when I commented that, so the fact that it's now 9.5k is crazy, and you know what it's well deserved!

[@r4dios1lence92]

First video I got from you was the Capstan Drive, and that one was great. Found the first ball balancing, and I was like "wow, he really went a long way in a short time". Being a control and automation engineer, I could pinpoint what explanations weren't okay, most probable causes it wasn't performing well (lack of the integral on the controller being one), but it was obvious the drive to explain, test, troubleshoot, show your math and make a good video was there... that's a lot of effort. The difference between these two ball balancing videos are a show of growth, congratulations. On another note, the most likely reason you didn't get smooth movement is because PID controllers are good for linear systems. Use it on a non-linear system, and you're depending on luck. When they operate around a stable point of relative linearity, they behave as they should; outside that zone, it's a guess. Two common cases of this is using PID to control magnetic levitation and inverted pendulums, if you want to look into it. Since the table is controlled via rotation of the motors, and looking through your equations, this system isn't linear. From what I remember of these systems, they behave like inverted pendulums. About using PID for the motors, that could help since it would de-couple a bit of the non-linearity, but it wouldn't be guaranteed. Some drivers come with built in controllers, so that could also help while increasing the cost. Still, controlling them via the processor you already have would be ideal. Also, I'm kinda curious on how you tuned the PID controller. Some situations can have auto-tuning solutions that help, if you don't want to model and calculate the gains for the control setting you want. This case probably has some suite of tests where you can run and have the system tune itself. Control theory is daunting, but awesome once you get the hang of it. Awesome job, gained another subscriber!

[@Max-wm2gy]

Amazing video! Love the way you handled the position detection. Do you consider making tutorial for the Electronic part?

[@AaedMusa]

Not a tutorial but I made an instructable linked in the description with schematics and instructions.

[@unnxmed699]

What would be really interesting to see is using machine learning with reinforcement learning to program this. you could use the exact same system, have the inputs of where the ball currently is as x and y, and outputs of the three stepper motors, then you reward it if it's close to the center and punish if it's far and punish really hardly if it falls off. would be interesting to see where that ends up

[@MitchellRichardson9]

where are the people? this video deserves x100 the attention.

[@AaedMusa]

Share it!

[@MitchellRichardson9]

@@AaedMusa I have no one to share it to :-:

[@tetsuoshima6100]

I love that you used an old school resistive touch screen, such a cheap and efficient way of doing it

[@Jiglias]

cool video, bad tetris

[@jarrodjob]

Yes. Concept of “Finesse” must be learned.

[@Huetoast]

that gameplay is actually pretty average for most players

[@TorHanson]

bro why is it so high quality and lowkey like calming unlike most other engineering videos out there

[@andreyrumming6842]

Ngl as awesoem as this is (And congrats getting it working as well as you did), the most brain tickling part of it is how when you turn on the balancing plate, the entire plate lifts up ready for the ball. I can't explain why, but that very tiny detail tickles my brain just right

[@Nonsense116]

Incredible video. So many maker channels don't mention the details at all and I'm left with more questions than answers. I love how you included the math and design process in the video. Really cool video, I subscribed.

[@chaggart5]

This is quite excellent thank you for not cutting the super satisfying ball motion at the end short. All you needed to make this even better than it already was is some contrived reason to move the ball on the platform. Maybe it follows your mouse during an intense gaming session, Maybe it follows your position on a court while you play tennis. Maybe you need to follow the path of a figure skating performance. You were one element away from this being an even more incredibly viral hit. That is of course only my opinion. Subscribed can't wait for more.

[@maciejtanski5302]

Like u just did something a person could write their Engineering Thesis to pas the studies in like less than 10 minutes film. Like bro. Legendary

[@Kimandy6862]

You learned the law of cosines in 8th grade? Dude, I’m an engineer and have a great math background but you’re on a different level. I love your work.

[@costacoffee4life665]

This is so cool and a perfect combination of applied further mathematic, CAD Design and EE. This looks like a huge step up from your previous prototype in terms of accuracy and resolution. Its evident that changing the rotor from 200 -> 3200 steps, makes a big difference in functionality and accuracy, delivering 0.1125° of precision vs 1.8°. As an EE student, this video has given me a few ideas to carry into other projects.

[@catdisc5304]

That ending was hilarious, when it yeeted the ball off and started celebrating like a caveman who just discovered how to make fire. Definitely worth a sub, might get some inspiration to continue one of my many benched projects

[@rijden-nu]

I cannot imagine the amount of work that went into just editing this video :o Let alone the amount of work in the actual product. This is absolutely amazing!

[@carlosruizmora3111]

And I was happy because I was able to implement a state machine that worked like a charm in an atmega328pb microcontroller... when I grow up I want to be like Aaed! This is very inspiring work. There is a lot I still need to learn!!!

[@LIGIENCE]

Just found out my video is recommended the most by this video, and i just recently discovered you. I love the quality, and you're an inspiration for me

[@stjimtemyth995]

man your a genus I realise and appreciate how hard this was to achieve, but i imagine you putting the robot on the ball and moving itself round the table

[@stjimtemyth995]

hmm does the ball have a reactance motor inside or does the ball balancing robot let the ball slide and stay balanced?

[@mgjk]

I love seeing the iteration from the previous version. I wonder if this new method can be combined with the optical technique to solve those ball rolling mazes?

[@benjacobsonn]

This is sick. Using a resistive touch panel is super clever

[@Londrino]

I was working on a similar project for an electronics class back in college, it's good to see someone else using the resistive touch pad as well instead of a camera. Mine never worked properly because I didn't know anything about PID's, but I'm glad I wasn't totally on a dead end.

[@0osk]

Awesome video! I would have never thought to use a touchscreen to track the ball. That's such an elegant solution.

[@rng11163]

Is there a way to know the dimensions of the final design and parts for example how long and wide it is in centimeters?

[@kevinwoodrobotics]

Great work! It would be possible to simulate and tune this in simulation and speed up the tuning process. Although easier than it sounds, building up that pipeline would help immensely for future tuning projects. Keep it up

[@karimhabsi6508]

This brings back memories. I did an almost exact thing in university using analogue circuits, that was 26 years a go.

[@davidh4653]

Just saw this in my feed. Nice work! My dad was a Boilermaker too. He got his PhD in Nuclear Engineering there a long, long, long time ago. I rebelled and went to Georgia Tech instead. :)

[@MarshmellowFluff]

Having observed your progress thus far, the council has seen fit to award you the official title of nerd. Additionally, having noted the humor contained therein, the council has seen fit to also attach the honorary title of dork. Good work. 👍

[@neetones]

Must be pretty cool to be a straight up genius.

[@einsteinisawesome9554]

Chanells definitely going places, such a relaxed tone and atmosphere

[@Engineezy]

Awesome project, really well executed! And the video is also great!

[@AaedMusa]

Thanks! Big fan of your videos

[@thinkingthing4851]

Amazing stuff, can't wait to dive into PID for my projects ! You showed me the possibilities, thanks!

[@username5218]

pretty cool, i am an electrical engineering student and i've just learned about PID systems. this is a reason why i want to learn it

[@ehsam8202]

this dude is insanely smart. its criminal he only has 10k subs. dont stop grinding man ur gonna be on top soon

[@Ziggyzaggy300]

Congrats, you also made a very overengineered gyroscope

[@belfonzus]

It's so mesmerising watching the ball dancing on the platform. Fantastic stuff!

[@peteasmr2952]

That sweet dreams beat made me so happy! What a cool project!

[@sohanbhuiyan2544]

You could also add a Trace or tails left behind by the ball by adding a screen or idk. I will look cooler...

[@Arnogorter]

Thanks for making this available open source... this may just become my summer project! Excellent video!

[@Bruhtters]

not gonna lie this is really cool but like a block with a dip in it like a bowl would have been a really funny solution

[@theopoldthegamer4284]

I can't finish watching this because I'm getting overwhelmed by unrelated intrusive thoughts, but just know that I've loved it so far

[@spartan076]

Your humor is hilarious dude. I like looking for hidden easter eggs in your vids. Always a good laugh. I wish I was more engineering focused in my career, not to mention, into coding.

[@dumbtex6107]

Really cool project! Very cool display of calculus too, I still need to learn it. Would love to see your take on a balancing pendulum or robot arm holding something spinning.

[@dave9105xcxcx]

I would love to see longer videos of your projects with a more detailed breakdown and instruction on what you do, for example working through the math in this ball balancer, or doing the coding. Your projects are great and i would love to try some of them :-)

[@AaedMusa]

Thanks! While it would be nice to do deep dives into the code and equations, I'll lose a lot of the audience's attention.

[@dave9105xcxcx]

@@AaedMusa I don't think so at all. People can just watch another of your videos if it's not for them, but I think anyone watching these sorts of things will be naturally curious to understand more. Perhaps you could do a poll video and ask if people want more detailed videos - get them to vote in the comments ...

[@almc8445]

This would look AWESOME from a near-isometric camera mounted above the plate - The plate would look entirely static, and the ball would just be zipping around constantly

[@euclidmegara4120]

This is great! How well does this machine perform when the machine itself is in motion, as in a car driving around town or on a boat? That would be fun to see.

[@thechannel8x]

well done! There still seems to be a bit of "jitter" or nervousness in the responses. You can either increase dampening (might be tricky for 2 PIDs) or add a simple low pass filter to get these out.

[@ebedohope]

The way u apply calculus to the project make me have more interest in calculus, btw u are really a genius

[@OlegSanjiev]

I bow to my knee, master! Your creation is perfect! Thank you for the inspiration!

[@Allmyf4ult]

Not even a robotics guy personally, but this was such a cool little project. Mad props to you good sir keep up the interesting content 👍

[@Allmyf4ult]

Also just because I'm curious how cool would it be to upsize the platform and actuators to allow multiple balls active and tracked with different balancing points a time :O

[@theteleportercell6749]

Just. How more underrated can you be dude?

[@mahmga1]

Phew, a really great result, well put together, seems like something a very seasoned maker would put out.

[@tristanp763]

This is one of the coolest things I’ve seen in a while!

[@genegray9895]

Have you considered switching from a PID based system to full motion profiling with trapezoidal velocity curves and splines and all that jazz? When I was doing FRC robotics in high school, switching to motion profiling seemed tedious and unnecessary at first but the final product was phenomenally smooth and easy to use compared to PID systems as we used in previous years.

[@harrylenon9594]

That works great for smooth and efficient accelerating and decelerating, but is not particularly useful in a high speed control loop

[@genegray9895]

@@harrylenon9594 you could have a motion profiling system for smooth ball motions that falls through to a PID system whenever the ball moves too quickly

[@igibomba]

This channel is underrated. Great video bro, I wish your channel grows!

[@cun1983]

Amazing, great project done well! Now put an OLED under the touchsensor, make it draw the current position of the ball. Maybe even draw both the intended and the acutal position to visualize the movement error.

[@ehhehh4049]

This is so cool. It is cool to see math from classes I'm taking being used in a project.

[@PeranMe]

This is so awesome! Good work, and thanks for sharing with the rest of us!

[@rng11163]

Why did you use three motors also Why specifically this type of motor?

[@ImolaS3]

Lovely project. I did something similar around 15 years back with one of my MSc students and the mechanics are not a patch on yours. I would have liked to see a little more detail in the video (I think explaining why the kinematics equations were developed and the actual PID tuning values and effects of changes would be nice in a video) but I guess it is on the instructables and Github

[@tamirvidal6912]

This is incredible! Would there be anyway to make the motion of the ball visible in some sort of trail, so that you could visualize the pattern it is making?

[@EliteBeast]

If they had classes where they get you to build projects like this, a lot more people would be interested in engineering.

[@Everyone_Benefits]

i want to use this for drone (for motors) bc i wNt to stand in 1 line all time and if 1 of motors suck

[@omarhaitham6673]

this is one of the rare vids that made me smile keep it up buddy

[@Ali_Pxll]

V2 is a badass, 8:03 he's doing V1 moves when it tries to center the ball, but he's doing it "Deliberately"

[@allie-ontheweb]

Love this, using a touch screen to detect the ball is really interesting! I wonder if it'd be possible to use machine learning/literal gradient descent to find the best variables to use

[@sharonc3211]

bro deserves way more subs with this amount of quality

[@IOUaUsername]

You could probably detect the location of the ball relative to 3 hall effect sensors with a small magnet under the middle of the table. That would allow the table to be made from something more aesthetically pleasing than a resistive touchscreen, or be made round.

[@zUltra3D]

This is so pointlessly cool. I love these kinds of things.

[@willw2596]

This is so cool. Thanks for sharing the process of building it.

[@TheRealLukeOlsen]

👏 👏 don't know why your channel just barely showed up on my feed

[@dirkvoninnsbruck9458]

I really like that little movie! Nicely done, Sir!

[@Samuel-km5yf]

That Chick-fil-A commercial made me crave a chicken sandwich sooooo bad.

[@jean-danieldeschenes7379]

This is awesome quality work there, thanks for the video and I hope to see more of your projects!

[@ThunderPantaloons]

Amazing. Would be nice to see that last series of shapes from directly above the platform.

[@SilverDaFox]

8:47 the jumping

[@GraniteValleyDave]

Awesome video mate! I think it would be really cool to have a screen under the surface so you could make it look like the ball was drawing. Could be cool to make it look like the ball was "drawing" the time.

[@Observ45er]

Yes. A clock. . .

[@laurenealvarez2598]

I want to buy this and have it displayed in my table..must be so relaxing to just watch it play.

[@jarenthielen6185]

Funny and brilliant. Keep em coming brother man, impressive all around.

[@weirddude1792]

Love the attention to detail at 4:01 😂 keep up the amazing work bro

[@tubattas]

Wonderul work. I need the name for the app you used to plot your project equations and illustrations، please 🙏

[@jacoblink4380]

Insanely professional! How difficult would it be to make it compatible with a multiple number of balls?

[@ivanmoren3643]

Fun question! I have a feeling the answer is "impossible" (I have some examples in my head that probably could prove it for at least those constructed scenarios) but would love for it not to be in practicality, either by the machine being more perfect than the roundness of the balls and using that to control them separately, or using verticality to influence some ball while another is still or in freefall, or if that turns out not to be feasable, then maybe having balls of different sizes or hollowed? /Not a mathematician

[@NeonyxBlue]

This is really cool!! I've never seen a unique idea that is this creative and functional!

[@westonkofford6110]

This would be such a cool desk toy.... It has so many other cool uses as well