I built an Omni-Directional Ball-Wheeled Bike

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I built an omni-directional ball-wheeled bike. This bike balanced like a Segway sideways, and drives in all directions, which makes it the ultimate drift bike! I used five ODrive brushless motors driving omni-directional wheels, running on large plastic balls which are intended for circus acts to balance on. Active control keeps it upright and twist grips are used to drive and steer.
CAD & Code: github.com/XRo...
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CAD and Code for my projects: github.com/XRo...
Huge thanks to my Patrons, without whom my standard of living would drastically decline. Like, inside out-Farm Foods bag decline. Plus a very special shoutout to Lulzbot, Inc who keep me in LulzBot 3D printers and support me via Patreon.
HARDWARE/SOFTWARE
Below you can also find a lot of the typical tools, equipment and supplies used in my projects:
Filament from: www.3dfuel.com/
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Bearings from: simplybearings...
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Vectric CNC Software: bit.ly/2zxpZqv
CAD content is sponsored by Autodesk Fusion 360

[@jamesbruton]

All my projects are open source, link in description! If you'd like to support me on Patreon it's www.patreon.com/XRobots Thanks!

[@MazBringsby]

Yeah, this world is going to Hell in a hand basket for sure....

[@zapkeith1]

Skid-steer may be a better control set-up.

[@feminazislayer]

Try using brushes in front of the drive wheels to know dirt off before the surface of the ball touches the drive wheel

[@Designsecrets]

Would a ribbed etc ball texture be better, like tyres?

[@Designsecrets]

Could you find magnetic balls, so you never have to worry about them popping out.......

[@kemon3733]

I was in Engineering school with James. He never missed classes, except for one. It was the class where we were taught not to reinvent the wheel

[@Mmoll1990]

heh, got 'em.

[@shavongolbourne7987]

Very good one. I scrolled away after reading then had to return and like. I got it 3 seconds late.

[@himox1651]

underrated comment lol

[@rogermiller5411]

😂

[@quikbale]

Was that coding class?

[@notjannet]

That is fantastic. Next you need to swap the balls out for green ones so you can easily 'green screen' them away & make it look like a hoverbike.

[@mskh744]

It would look like the "Oppressor Mk II" from GTA V! This actually drifts like it

[@ebaker8807]

Genius!

[@lukebiller1747]

Or a speeder bike from Empire Strikes Back

[@mm-qd1ho]

Or transparent ones

[@michaelnewell9662]

Brilliant!

[@mirabilis]

You got some balls creating that bike

[@dodgygoose3054]

BIG ONES!

[@garrysekelli6776]

The balls should be positioned horizontally under the saddle. He oriented them wrong.

[@BigfootNewEngland]

​@@garrysekelli6776I agree. Kinda like the screw drive.

[@MusikCassette]

🥁🥁📀

[@teamidris]

:D

[@astrius22]

Dude's building the coolest thing ever on his free time

[@madmax404]

hardly his free time given he states KZbin content is his job :D but surely makes it look like he'd do this just for fun

[@TomStantonEngineering]

This has to be the coolest ebike ever... I want one!!

[@expedient-p8u]

I can make one for you tom 😊😊😊 love your videos

[@danoneill8751]

Maybe you could help him turn the static charging into some kind of perverse regen - instead of super capacitors ready to dump current back into the motors, you could simply let the frame charge up as it clearly wants to, and periodically dump the current into the cardiac system of the driver and make him yelp! the vehicle forwards.

[@WhiskersWatson]

I would love to see your own rendition of the bike. I AM subbed so ill be hoping to see it later this year :P

[@tcf70tyrannosapiensbonsai]

Tom, I thought it was Your's at first glimpse!

[@leighguptill9244]

Tom, it'll be YOUR job to run it with air pressure.

[@EszGotYa]

Dude just made the literal coolest thing ever and was like "So yeah it's kind of interesting"

[@raygun23]

😂😂😂😂😂

[@OrangeDiamond33]

He’s having a ball

[@Ashgrey0]

Profile pic checks out

[@OLIVE_MANN]

@@Ashgrey0and he’s even subbed to vortrox.

[@ttomhall]

Welcome to england

[@ayasugihada]

What amazes me the most is that this is a work of a single person. And not like lifework, but a "cute little side project". So impressive!

[@user-ne9sd4ow1o]

Money, brains, and time.. Many of us lack 1 or all 3 of these

[@Sleight94]

I don't want to diminish what he accomplished, but others (the society) helped. He didn't build the motors nor the extrusion and I don't think he fabricated the chips. Other people were involved through there services and products. Also, he tested the bike in a safe environment of a gym which he didn't build. I love what he is doing and wouldn't be able to do it myself currently, but it is not a thing of one person. We should rather cherish that we have somebody who can bring so much together of what is out there instead of attributing everything to one person - who is non the less pretty amazing

[@horplesmoff]

and not just create this thing but also document the process clearly for a video too

[@deviixe2546]

@@Sleight94yeah bro he didnt build the gym GTFO 😂😂😂

[@mofleh177]

@@Sleight94 Even if he was the one who built the gym, you'd say he bought the cement and didn't make it himself! he didn't mine the iron ore from its natural source, melted it, casted it and treated it to make the steel rebars,,,etc what a silly point you've got!

[@MorgueMage]

There’s some things obviously that would need to be engineered to protect this thing for long term public use, but this is such a cool idea. I really hope there’s a company out there willing to work with him to bring this into everyday use

[@245trichlorophenate]

The best thing about watching your channel is that while any other KZbinr would be going "OMG guys!! I CAN'T believe how cool this is!!" you just say "So, yeah, this seems to be alright."

[@cavemanakif5015]

A proper humble engineer

[@tvuser9529]

"Keep calm and carry on, lads."

[@Mmoll1990]

It's really refreshing that there is ZERO overhype or clickbait aspects of it. Just clean, impressive engineering and chill fun. I can't express how undervalued this type of content is. Thank you so much.

[@praisethebeatles]

it’s inordinately more valuable than clickbait content!

[@enoughyoutube9723]

Any other video would’ve been 20 hours long and the build wouldn’t have worked at the end. It would be title, “something so scary even scientist can’t figure out “. I hate KZbin.

[@kieranbanks6188]

I’m not sure if it’s just British modesty but you’re so nonchalant about creating the coolest thing ever

[@_marlene]

i would be proud if this 1 project was my life's work

[@jonathanswink2682]

Has to be 😂😂😂... "right this seems to be working ok" Me from America would have fireworks blasting in the background with banners that say "Coolist thing ever created" OH and cheerleaders 😂

[@benny7811]

I love how seriously he talks about it, its a nice juxtaposition with how hilarous he looks riding around on it. Definitely one of the coolest/most interesting things I've seen on KZbin/ever 🎉🎉🎉

[@JamesTaylor-on9nz]

I think that's probably one of the few differences between Americans and British, one is loud and the other is quiet. Australians are somewhere in the middle.

[@DPham1]

​@@JamesTaylor-on9nz drunken football hooligans would like a word with you

[@hanshandkante5055]

Seriously, people like you are like characters from Star Trek. How a single person can design and built all this is absolutely beyond me.

[@mind-of-neo]

Cue the old quote about magic and sufficiently advanced technology, lol. But it's so true. It is lovely to see things from sci fi or seemingly from sci fi making their way into the real world thanks to individuals with extraordinary levels of intelligence.

[@supergamergrill2346]

If you understand gyroscopics then really this isn't that hard. Programming the servos to balance was probably the hardest part but I'd bet there's computer programs that set them for you now a days.

[@MegaCasey09]

If i had funding to waste months on this i could do it😊​@@supergamergrill2346

[@hanshandkante5055]

@@supergamergrill2346 Its still a lot. First you have to design all the parts, then print them, then built them all together, then the programming etc. I don't say nobody has ever done something like this before but it is still impressing.

[@MondoChow777]

​@@hanshandkante5055 Mercedes has experimented with this concept for a coupe. Except Mercedes wanted to mount the ball wheels in a magnetic wheel well. This guy, if he didn't patent this idea might have blown it wide open for Mercedes.

[@uBreeze]

Your ability to instantly resolve a problem with an effective solution and foresight to develop things that won’t have other problems without any cheap work-arounds is extremely, extremely impressive. Your mind is ahead of the game.

[@genericfakename8197]

My dad will love this. He's been talking about spherical wheeled vehicles for years. He insists it's for engineering reasons, but I think its' because he watched iRobot once and was very impressed.

[@fiery_transition]

Why would they be a good choice for vehicles? My first thought was that it was very cool, but the small rollers used to transfer force would get dirty fast and even small imperfections in the ball would be very noticeable after some time. It's not uncommon for some people riding bikes to wear out their tire more in the middle than the sides in case they don't lean so much.

[@LostLargeCats]

​@@fiery_transition I just love the idea of watching people corner too fast and their wheels pop out and go rolling away.

[@rihardsrozans6920]

​@@fiery_transition Obvious answer? Because it would look cool

[@arex7559]

​@@fiery_transitioneasier parking

[@girishmewada4744]

goodluck with the flat tyres, cause it ll be tangent to any sharp object it touches not to forget u cant put suspension in a ball tyre vehicle

[@PrinceAlhorian]

Next project, James builds the Audi from I Robot.

[@dissonanceparadiddle]

My first thought and hope

[@rackneh]

Yes please

[@Deathbynature89]

I was thinking of the same thing

[@antonliakhovitch8306]

I wanna see one with ONE ball. Add another motor for spin around the Z axis and it's done!

[@tanguyassimon8331]

And next the U.S.R transport truck

[@cosmicyeti6804]

Dear Mr. Briton, I am in a wheelchair, L4-L5 incomplete paraplegic. I have been visualizing of how to mount and control a single ball drive under the seat. It would be a game changer in the wheelchair world!

[@joelguyomard2658]

I agree with you, but it will require that your city is built to accommodate that kind of device... No need to tell you how often you probably meet places which are not design for your handicap. So imagine that balls running away from your chair.... I think robotic is more adapted to your condition. Have you seen how they can perform now? Soon you will have this robotic skeleton which will give you a better mobility and enhance your life. Definitively wishing that for you.

[@chungusamongus519]

If the ball can deflate, allowing better traction, or the chair has some sort of extension for various obstacles...

[@Treayom]

In a wheelchair and was thinking the same thing. I still drive a manual wheelchair though so that would need a entire different system

[@StarsAndDreamz]

​@chungusamongus519 some sort of heavy duty rubber that can both give grip and allow for constant inflating/deflating

[@zavatone]

That's a great idea, but you'd need balls that are more tolerant to dirt and with a surface that repels dirt and dust, Note how he is practicing driving this on a gym floor that is cleaned regularly and has a varnished surface.

[@trinitymarieM]

I was picturing the new space age Harley with all terrain tires, the tread works together with cogs for stability. On road off road wow the possibilities. Brilliant

[@semajjyt3473]

I love when engineers make KZbin channels and get enough subs to do what ever they want, always see the coolest things be made

[@vedantkumar2807]

Do check out Stuff made here if you haven't already checked it. He is the craziest engineer i can think of !!

[@MR-jd1yo]

good point

[@tomisabum]

Static electricity is the one thing often overlooked in big projects like this for people making video projects, glad you left the focus on this and grounding issues in for us to see!

[@firdaus99031]

Indeed, it keeps the bike grounded

[@sveterano]

It's incredible how, amidst the vast number of cool projects on the internet, there are still people who can truly surprise us with their ingenious talent. Congratulations, James.

[@BarelyAlive247]

This is what i imagined engineering was about but people get stuck into corporations

[@voornaam3191]

Yes, we are easily amazed. Why the hell don't everybody do such projects? Homo sapiens is not that sapiens. Only one in fifty are clever enough. WHY are we all so boring?!

[@Professor_Utonium_]

​@@voornaam3191Because modern convenience has allowed the 49 out of a 50 boring people to have a platform and a voice 😂

[@Diecast_Rated]

@voornaam You must be young. Seek therapy. Only boring people are bored.

[@jarate8076]

@@Diecast_Rated therapy is expensive doe

[@lasagnahog7695]

These videos make me realize just how much I love how well made a bicycle is. Obviously I'm not the first to say so but there really isn't anything you can do to improve the design of a modern bicycle.

[@Aranore]

"yeah that'll be alright" You made Segways look like chump achievements. This is amazing from an engineering standpoint imo. Love the work, thanks for sharing

[@LacerationWraith]

Once this vehicle is able to go 80 mph in all directions it will be impossible to stop we can finally have rocket league irl

[@PunakiviAddikti]

Don't forget the dead man's switch! Very important for machines that won't stop on their own if the operator falls off or gets injured.

[@ronin6158]

pretty sure the throttle acts as a dead man-- it's sprung to return to neutral (not moving) with nothing applied. 19:10

[@NikDesantiago]

The balls will just pop out

[@MelodicTurtleMetal]

​@@ronin6158 kinda - but if the balance sensor is off it'll just correct itself away from you at speed

[@loganfowler7417]

Definitely agree. We wouldn't want the dead man to get hurt after he falls off the bike. 😜

[@nicholasscott3287]

Or, worse, correct itself over you at speed

[@cawneyhawme7141]

If there was a sport you could play while riding these, I would watch the hell out of it.

[@haydenronson5014]

Now we’re talking! Maybe like polo with a bit of fighting like hockey

[@raffia16thblaze10]

i wouldnt watch that... id be a participant in said sport!

[@Drip4Less_]

Jousting. Give 2 guys big sticks and see who falls out first

[@martineldritch]

Rollerball ?

[@safetyegg]

Jousting

[@Mcgoodyson]

Seeing "omni" and two round red balls activated the brainrot within me

[@veryburntgrilledcheese]

I feel like that one guy saying "STAY IN THE BOX NO STAY IN THE BOX NO GET OUT OF MY SKIN"

[@AllenTheBuilder]

i am omniing it. im omniing it so good 😔

[@venvenunknown9503]

​@@AllenTheBuilderWHERES OMNIMAN!!!WHERE IS HE!!!??? WHERES OMNIMAN!!!!!!

[@Shivaxi]

If the mechanisms to spin the balls wrapped down a bit further just past the median point of the balls, it'd keep them in place so they couldn't pop off. Then you can do jumps too!

[@cptant7610]

Alternatively some brackets could easily hold the balls in place.

[@juliuscaesar5270]

Can someone explain why no one is building this kind of bike for atreet use with higher budget and a nice modern cover and mybe some changes too improve it even more…. Like i think lots of peoples would buy it and it would like like something out of an cyberpunk movie. Also it is muche safer than a normal bike if you do it right bc you can’t slip away on the street. If you use different tires/balls and omni weels you could even have an inbuild suspension etc.. Imagen how sick it would be going 100km/h with this shit leaning to the right and then left going around traffic cones 😂 ypu would beet anyone on a normal bike. Jumping ober shit like wtf 🥹

[@WilliamPinheiro-o3f]

i've tought of magnets but this seems like a simpler, clever, solution..

[@OrthoBroBro]

​@juliuscaesar5270 what about a car that has a system with 4 of these balls?

[@BickNutton]

@@juliuscaesar5270 The balls would have to be smooth and hard like in this video, meaning not much traction meaning easy loss of control. These would be hard to stop at higher speeds. Any dirt or grime on the ball would reduce the efficiency greatly, and damage the mechanisms. And driving in wet conditions would probably just be suicide, not to mention it'd damage the bike.

[@billyvega]

If it had a steel ring low enough to prevent the ball from dislodging, tread for grip over the ball and large torsion spring built into a split frame for suspension, it would be a very practical and fun bike to ride outdoors. Saying that I think this thing is one of the coolest things I've seen on KZbin.

[@Shademastermcc]

Or what about magnets inside and outside of the balls providing a force that would help keep the balls in place?

[@SOULFIRE__]

​@@Shademastermcc That introduces even more friction, heat and battery usage. Not to mention the magnets would grab any dust they could pick up from the ground making the ride unusual.

[@catac1ysm13]

Both of the ideas work you could make a single tire under the unit that give pure forward and backwards drive solely for momentum and retracts after speed is met This could only ever be riden inside so a thin rubber easement of the ball would help with traction along with the ring idea that would make this a fun time

[@mijkolsmith]

I feel like the "tires" need the most work before you can drive it outside efficiently, like they probably need to be softer like bicycle or car tires and with air pressure

[@Trevor2497]

I was also thinking about using magnets to keep the spheres on there! The magnets could be encased with low resistance wheels to reduce friction concerns. This way the sphere would be sandwiched between wheels from the inside and out.

[@SAINT_sank]

Great use case for this: camera crews can mount cameras where the headlight is and catch some groundbreaking cinematography

[@xantiom]

Too late, these days drones can do every angle and movement that this Omniwheel does

[@enriquebarragan212]

Battery though ​@@xantiom

[@sebfofun7458]

​@@enriquebarragan212drones in movies are pretty darn big

[@720MotorWorks]

@@enriquebarragan212 this is also battery powered lol

[@MollyHJohns]

Nah just use chickens for that

[@RayZurBlade]

This reminds me of Tony stark building the mark 1 suit in a cave with a box of scraps. Something amazing made out of simple everyday components.

[@Skyn3tD1dN0th1ngWr0ng]

Well Tony could not only fly but also shoot weaponry, this devilish contraption just pops its wheels out whenever you least expect it. Imagine this is your Christmas gift and ten minutes later you comeback crying to your dad because your balls roll down the hill and injured an old lady.

[@IgnisWings]

I've been thinking about this concept since I was a kid like "with enough calculations it _should_ be possible right" and I'm so happy to see a working prototype in reality

[@yashodhan1905]

Yeah me too, certainly, yeah, I have totally been thinking about it

[@Tortle8046]

@@yashodhan1905Yes I too have made this idea before and I always thought “According To my calculations, a prototype is theoretically possible” and all my friends would say “English please” and now I’m happy to see that this guy stole my idea

[@PrepuceMaximus]

@@Tortle8046 Neckbeard

[@thegabrielcho]

Young sheldon

[@GoblinAndLaserBeam]

My idea

[@szczupak011]

I love KZbin for allowing guys like you to exist and show things like that. Just found out your channel, 15Min deep into the video and I already know I'll binge watch whole channel

[@RaskiPlaski3000]

I study industrial design engineering, and people like you absolutely fascinate me. It’s incredible how you create projects like this one from scratch. Much love from Spain. You’re a huge inspiration. Cheers

[@kraja15]

I just stumbled upon this channel and i just can't get over elmo looking in absolute disbelief at this whole thing at 5:45

[@mohamedbensaid2258]

I love when a KZbinr builds some complicated stuff without making drama just display the final parts

[@howitworks3607]

The fact that you made this yourself completely from scratch is absolutely incredible. It’s genuinely inspiring and a good lesson - you’ve been learning and working and pushing for years, but look what you’ve accomplished. This wasn’t something you just decided to do one weekend with no previous skills; it took decades of learning and experience. Anything is possible, it just takes patience and diligence. Thank you for sharing!

[@petedavid9946]

I’ve not read through all the comments but, if you had idlers that dropped down below the horizontal center of the balls, you can adjust the pressure held against your drive wheels without having to rely simply on your mass. That would also allow you to traverse less than perfectly smooth surfaces. Very impressive build!

[@Henrix1998]

This works only on very clean surfaces, any dust and such will cause a lot of wear in the driving wheels

[@dmb-zw8nn]

I was thinking he could add hoops below the centre line of the balls with bristles all around to keep them cleaner.

[@johnl3624]

Daaaaaamn!!! 😂

[@carminegalante4925]

Would a rubber ball almost like a basketball but with cords like a tire work on this? I was also thinking of hoops drop center of the balls, but to keep them in at high velocity, maybe coilovers to hold them and give suspension???

[@MrScooter1021]

You’re a genius. So great to watch someone incredibly competent and curious work.

[@Flyingtofate]

Thank you for making your projects open source, i think its a crime you dont have millions and millions of viewers, you have put so much time into all of this and the fact you do this yourself…….wow!!!!!!

[@vv7299]

It's not a crime

[@JimmyJayJunior]

He has millions now

[@TheNolife96]

8.7 millions view i guess he's good lmao

[@VisFix]

Good to see targets storefront barriers being put to good use.

[@savageoldman]

Gotta delete my comment now LoL should have read before posting lol

[@Pluhyuz]

i clicked the video to find this comment

[@TheArtist20002]

@@Pluhyuzsame

[@sarah.s.flanagan]

dead

[@ItsAstrality]

This is the coolest thing I have ever seen. The only thing I can think of would be possibly adding treads to the ball to avoid slipping... but just WOW! It's so damn awesome

[@nate2838]

I know, I want one, and I want to see people play games with them like handball or polo! Also be a blast on an obstacle course or track. Would likely be a super expensive video, but i'd love to see a group of these running around a cone track or playing games, and start from people first getting used to them then after a week or 2 practice see how well the do! Watching him play around on this reminds me of motorcycle stunt riders doing slides and donuts.

[@williamapple7705]

@@nate2838 I don't know how viable it would be, but I think there is a lot of fine-tuning that could be done to make it really quite fun and powerful to play with.

[@Dosemen]

And a v6

[@herstoryanimated]

I suppose it might interfere with the driver wheels, but I wonder if instead of protruding treads, it had small inverted treads that would still help (just not as much) and wouldn't affect the wheels if small enough

[@thebombcat]

Going underneath the ball with your motor arms would "capture" the ball and allow for more difficult terrain (than a slick gym floor). You would have to seriously reinforce them though to avoid breaking off the extended arms. Super cool design, James.

[@kevinamundsen6983]

I was obsessed with the Audi RSQ after seeing it in “I, Robot”. This is literally how that car drives. Incredible!

[@scottborders7934]

Exactly what I was thinking.

[@GrindHardPlumbingCo]

This makes me so happy!

[@blikpils]

Please Colab. we need a monster chopper omni bike.

[@Downriverdiesel]

Yeah a collab would be awesome

[@alexanderleuchte5132]

If only Ivan Dobsky could see this

[@WellingtonIronman]

The most impressive thing about this is how successful that first switch on was. All that engineering, all that coding, wiring, construction, and everything works perfectly first time. It’d be fair to say that there is no one else on the planet that could achieve that.

[@jamesbruton]

Well it's pretty much a clone of the Screw-Bike controller, so I'd kind of done it before!

[@fraaggl]

I think you may be pretty fair to say that... Everything is perfect, it's like witnessing a hole in one at the hardest green in a world golf championship...

[@sharedknowledge6640]

Indeed. Think how long it would take a typical commercial bike manufacture to come up with teams of people working on something like this even as a prototype. Truly remarkable!

[@chrisblake4198]

​@@jamesbrutonthat is one thing I like about your content, you do a great job at designing systems and iterating them forward in multiple projects. How many times have we seen the OpenDog controller? It takes skill to know when you don't need to reinvent the wheel when you're working on your projects to reinvent the wheel. 😉

[@Agouti]

This is a scaled up version of the project my university has for 2nd year mechatronics engineering students so I think "Only one on the planet" is a bit facetious haha. The hallmark of PID is "works pretty well pretty easily " but it can never be made perfect. The balancing and sideways movement would be a lot more intuitive (like Segways) if you moved away from PID into system inversion.

[@rahulpujari14507]

Your projects are out of this planet brother.

[@OmegaBlack999]

The ultimate drift bike... Since seeing I Robot, I have thought vehicles would move toward spherical wheels. I thought the scene where he's fleeing the robots and takes over the car manually and he maneuvers through a spinout back into control was one of the coolest scenes. You just brought that to life. Thank you for making this.

[@Grant849]

I've been 3d printing and designing for close to six years. This dude makes me feel like I just started lmao. The amount of 3d printed parts, even the big parts is absolutely incredible

[@noahrice3362]

I never thought I'd want something quite like this, but I very much want something like this. This is practically the stuff of my dreams! ...Well, aside from an actual hoverboard. That is incredibly sick. I'll definitely keep an eye out for more stuff like this!

[@yanivnevechen]

Phenomenal work! To avoid having the 'wheelballs' pop out, you can simply design their sockets to engulf more than 50% of each sphere.

[@nicholasscott3287]

Or use magnets - one big magnet attached to the frame, and a smaller magnet on a frame with omniwheels inside the ball wheel.

[@ВладМирГонсиоровский]

Или можно использовать воздушный всасывающий механизм сверху над шарами. К примеру пылесос. 😊

[@sup3rshockwav317]

I agree though is something gets stuck inside the socket between the orb and it then he would have to clean it out though something like that could help it be usable on real roads if this were to ever become commercially available which seem unlikely at this point in time

[@Classic_seeker]

Goodyear’s spherical tires

[@MPAzezal]

@@sup3rshockwav317 maybe brushes all the way around the inner socket edges to brush off debris?

[@iviaverick52]

0:39 today I learned that "juggling shops" are a thing...

[@Yogoniogi]

have a look in odd balls (Camden Town)

[@ShamWerks]

I've heard they are really good at balancing their books.

[@emerymaylene]

We* comrade

[@seneca983]

You should look up hyper-specialist shops that exist in Berlin. One fun example is a shop that only sells textile meat (basically decorative cushions that look like sausages, steaks, etc.).

[@tvuser9529]

Takes very strong arms to juggle brick-and-mortar shops though.

[@video_starts_at]

The quality and finish of your builds is on another level. Same with your videos. Well done!

[@AwesomeOpenSource]

I love these builds you do. I just sat and watched, but you really let me feel that success you have with your expression as you ride. Well done!

[@TheLaensman]

I’m a 40yo man and this video made me smile and giggle like a 3 year old boy seeing a Harley Davidson for the first time!

[@Pabloworldwide]

49yo here. So did I my man.

[@paulfrost8952]

It’s one giant leap from a Space Hopper.

[@fenwickc2274]

Visar husse hur man gör

[@AdamsFA2024]

Amen brother 🙏🏼

[@Pabloworldwide]

@@fenwickc2274 Det här är lätt

[@mindrage92]

Now we can do the akira slide in real life.

[@FunnyITguy85]

This is the MOST Akira-Slide-able machine man has ever created.

[@Erikk_0]

If we can get Keanu Reeves to do the Akira slide on this bike, the Matrix will crash and we'll all be free.

[@Daniel-vg7yl]

from the film footage it looks like the Akira bike generated a lot of static as well. :)

[@PositiveEmo]

was going to make the same comment. I really want to see it but idk if he can do it without the balls slipping out.

[@gustavosaliola]

Was looking for thisssssssss

[@TheJuutai]

That's awesome. If I could make a suggestion, I would attempt to set up "tank controls" on the grips. As in, push both forward to go forward, both back to go back and then twist the grips in opposite directions to steer.

[@thelastwareore778]

@TheJuutai That is a really great Idea. @jamesbruton 👀

[@Jacer0nii-w1j]

I had this exact idea like 4 years ago but couldnt build it due to being a child, awesome to see what it looks like irl!

[@Joneender]

Dude this is legitimately one of the coolest thinks Ive ever seen, fantastic job making this! Ive often daydreamed of whether or not a vehicle could use spherical wheels, and you just did that in such a radical way.

[@tomothan]

Theres one of these bikes in a TV show called scavengers reign, check it out

[@respecttheconstitution1146]

Amazing creation. The dropping out of the balls can be avoided if you put a circular frame slightly below the equator of each ball. Then it can jump like any other bike.

[@KHALABEEB]

He could also just put the bike on puberty blockers.

[@LuckyImp]

I was thinking just this, I think mass production of this type of bike could be realistic to have for public use in the future. I hope he makes it better then sells off the rights or better yet makes his own business to sell.

[@respecttheconstitution1146]

@KHALABEEB But that would shrink the balls, right? So how does that help?

[@Jonathan_Doe_]

The ring could also incorporate brushes to keep the balls clean.

[@runningsandwich]

So the balls don't drop!​@@respecttheconstitution1146

[@SkylerGhostly-u2m]

This is by far the most clean and most impressive project I've seen on KZbin to this date. It works really well, looks SHARP, and most importantly, looks like a heck of a lot of fun!

[@Lucy-pd6fv]

I was thinking the same thing! I wonder if there were bloopers/mistakes, or if this project really did just turn out like a dream, because that’s what it feels like on this end!

[@GymmyS]

Bravo! Well done! Only thing that could make it more user friendly is connecting the steering to the turn of the handle bars instead so it behaves more like the natural feel of a bike.

[@joshhobbs4862]

24:40 missed opportunity for a Manscape sponsorship

[@sitschi3949]

Hahahahaha genius

[@Anuclano]

It is unimaginable what competences are needed to design it and in what areas. It is not only working, but also looks well and reliable. It looks as if this kind of vehicle has been shaped by competition for a century.

[@jshowao]

I wouldnt say its very reliable. It cant go fast and it still lacks control. But still, its unbelievably awesome what someone with immense talent can achieve.

[@micdeezy95tillinfinity]

He keeps everything public. Now we just need races with these bikes, and let the compition drive people to find the best specs for various scenarios and give us loads of data and see how reliable/practical this concept can be. Or imagine a lazer tag match with this with obsticles everwhere but you can only have you "gun" on the front so you gotta pivot around to aim

[@naturalaura5258]

I appreciate how you created this awesome bike and then objectively identified everything that goes into making it without exaggerating. By doing so, you ensured that everyone who is inspiring to build something like this understands how while also making it feel plausible to do. Very cool, fun, and informative!

[@ReekRendTest1]

I wish he addressed for each part how many hours/days/weeks he spent on it. I suspect this project took exponentially more time than the 30min video. ;)

[@MaraESP7575]

Also you could add brace loops near the bottom section of the balls and attach to the bottom midsection of that frame, just so that the balls dont move too much out of place when traveling on uneven or bumpy surfaces. this is an amazing creation id buy this if it was mass-produced!!

[@Tomisosa11]

as a maker, and almost an electronic engineer, this is amazing.

[@geofox9484]

It is to everybody we don’t need to hear about your hobbies and careers

[@Grunkle_Stanley]

As a guy running a turist trap at gravity, this is amazing..

[@GoosFrabaaa]

​@@geofox9484He is saying he relates to this especially due to his proximity to the profession. He not only enjoys it but also understands its complexities and is therefore able to appreciate it more than you. Side note: Find the source of what is making you unhappy and adress it or walk away from it lest you become an impossible human being to bare and therefore forever alone.

[@GoosFrabaaa]

It is very cool indeed.

[@GoosFrabaaa]

​@@geofox9484He is saying that due to his proximity to the profession, he is able to understand the complexities of the project and therefore appreciate them more than the average person. Side note: Find the source of what is making you unhappy and adress it or walk away from it lest you become an impossible human to bear and therefore forever alone.

[@JosephMelia]

Total genius.. Looks awesome.. All it needs now is a pair of armature/mudguards, which keep the wheels from falling off...Seeing as the wheel only contacts the ground at a small place, you build said armature cages to virtually surround the balls, with spring loaded roller buffers to prevent the wheel catching on the armature. then you can lift the bike, bump it up kerbs, bounce out of potholes etc. Also balls would need to be made from proper roadworthy material, if that would be it's intended use. But, like Wow. That's super cool. You sir, are unique in your ingenuity.

[@ed.puckett]

I found your channel in 2017 and was extremely impressed with the iron man suit you were making at the time. You were doing things with 3D printing I had never seen before. However, today's project is over the top. What an amazing fabricator you are! And an inspiration. Thank you, keep up the great work!

[@Hadeshy]

I never thought I would want a bike in my entire life as someone who's litteraly terrified of being on one. But this bike. I want it. I feel it could reconcile me with bikes

[@ExplainingComputers]

Absolutely fantastic build and video.

[@scottlanbrasher]

I grew up on youtube channels like yours, and now I'm persuing an education in mechanical engineering thank you for the cool stuff you do. It's educational, creative, and inspiring for many I'm certain!

[@gonkle_]

James stole the red Target balls and turned it into a bike

[@JaceFaller]

LOL

[@fedorbrikelev7420]

I was gonna say the same thing 😂😂

[@laserbeard328]

corporations suck its, this comment i so creepy

[@fedorbrikelev7420]

@laserbeard328 🤨

[@Zaidoesstuff]

@@laserbeard328dude whatever are you on about

[@sartk6898]

There are levels above levels, above levels, and this sits right at the top. That is different gravy. Wow.

[@fladder1]

Ooh, that's genius to have separate printed inserts for the bearings. I'm going to use that in my own designs. Thanks!

[@hollywood23007]

This might be the single coolest thing I've seen on youtube. Especially in the category of real life practicality, and proof of concept with that practicality. AMAZING...AWESOME

[@ItsMrDie]

This is straight out of a movie. Wow man one of the coolest things I've seen in a while! Well done!

[@lenaWurmtype]

it's straight out of the animated series scavengers reign!

[@DamianCastilloFigueroa-pw1sz]

I've loved this concept for years. With support rings around the balls attached to the chassis at 1/3 of the ball's height, and with a ball roller in the ring, you would secure the ball to the vehicle's body and it would serve as a fender or bumper. To improve balance and cornering resistance, lower the center of gravity below the line between the two centers of the balls. You've probably already thought about the texture on the balls. See you strolling through the desert in 3 years.

[@MappingOutMyTheories]

Please do more videos using this bike on different terrains! Build a second one too and race around a go cart course with a friend- in the dark! WITH LED LIGHTS! Okay, I’m basically asking for Tron 😭

[@rfresa]

I think it might need a lot of modifications to work on rough terrain.

[@Ann0nyl]

You are the first and only man (I have seen) to actually reinvent the wheel by definition in THOUSANDS of years. I hope you understand the scope of what you have achieved and are highly commended for it. You also get to come up with a new word for spherical wheels!

[@realchikinmcnugets]

This type of thing has existed for a long time before this video

[@mushroom5912]

@realchikinmcnugets Where

[@zeta3341]

​@@mushroom5912one example is here on KZbin, called "pats wheel" and it can climb stairs without mechanical parts. But yes, people do "reinvent" the wheel all the time and innovate upon it. it's not like we use wooden wheels we used thousands of years ago.

[@ManiacClown]

I'd suggest "spheel" but then he might have to fight Game Freak.

[@Snavels]

​@@mushroom5912the omniwheel as a patented concept has existed since the early 1900s bro.

[@Mikey.750]

This is the best thing I've seen on KZbin in a long time! As a mechanical engineering student, this blows my mind. I wouldn't even know where to start on the software/electrical side of things for a project like this. Great work! Subscribed.

[@auliamate]

hands down might be the coolest thing i tihnk i've ever seen on the internet. oh my gosh this is the future

[@timothymukuha7807]

Saw this on Scavengers Reign. Really cool to see it in real life💯

[@FranciscoArturoMarshall]

me too ! awesome.

[@F0XD1E]

First thing I thought of too. Now he needs to make a Levi.

[@pigeonramier6898]

one of the best animated serie thos years

[@bilbo1778]

Scrolled down to see if someone commented this 1st - Animation nerds of the world unite!

[@matheussanthiago9685]

YEEEES I had to scroll way too much to find this

[@SchunkiTracks]

Bro casually does some donuts on one of the only vehicles that are made to go in that direction, owns all the other ones capable of that and goes like 'yea seems to be working alright'. THAT is the true definition of humble. This thing is also one of the highest quality builds there are on KZbin. Keep that up, KZbin needs you to not loose the reason to watch these kinds of videos❤ ❤

[@Alen725]

He owned nobody. He 3D printed some clumsy thing. Other people were interested in practical engineering solutions, not something that would cause a catastrophic failure by catching a pebble.

[@SchunkiTracks]

@Alen725 if you look at builds from other crafting KZbinrs, they tend to build with way more duct tape, electronics that overheat after minutes and use mostly pre designed controlling methods

[@human_shaped]

A slight rubberised surface on the wheels and this needs to be produced commercially. I want one.

[@piraterubberduck6056]

Rubber still gets slippery when covered in dust. I have flower sticks with rubber coatings and regularly have to wash them to keep them grippy.

[@human_shaped]

@@piraterubberduck6056 That's true, but still better than hard plastic.

[@nialasciva]

Adjust the project to take differently sized balls and find a fitting rubber ball!

[@SturmGewehr1944x]

And add nylon sweeps on each side of the drive and idler wheels to remove the dirt and dust.

[@Skege1000]

Cut strips from used bike tires and use bit smaller ball. Few years ago some tire maker had consept of that kinda wheel for a car.

[@arvinddhakar4748]

Fantastic... surely needs to be there in market

[@noone1929]

Reminds me as a kid being frustrated by the rigidity of roller skates and plotting in my sketchbook how to make roller skates with magnetic pool balls for wheels. I never made any prototypes since I am terrible at power tools, but this bike looks like a dream come true!

[@tedlasalvia9668]

I know you are in the UK, but you should bring this to the San Diego Comic-Con!!!!! The fact that you can actually build this is mind blowing!

[@danielcorrea2198]

The cars in the movie "I Robot" used big balls for the wheels in their (cgi) cars. I can't believe someone made it work, and as a motorcycle style. It's so cool to see your hard work, curiosity, and ingenuity come together and make this cool bike become a reality.

[@canadianbloke3]

Amazing great engineering, I want to ride it! Great comments too, probably from Mech Engs like me, lower rigid fork idlers to retain the ball, additional pressure from the motors to the ball for better traction, a coating to improve the ball / road friction, then tune that software, and helmet and shin pads on and get some serious lean in those corners. Still amazing work! Well done!

[@BrainFizzVRLLC]

James, not kidding, completely serious, with some refinement this is a product. I've been watching your channel since the early days and I've really enjoyed this series iterating on omniwheel vehicles watching you take the knowledge and experience from the past projects into the new projects. Keep at it :)

[@ivangutowski]

It really shows when he switched it on first time and it's basically perfect

[@alexdyke194]

Very small market for this though. You pretty much can only use it indoors, as rough terrain would be a disaster. Even asphalt would be a problem, since the sand and stones will quickly gum up those omniwheels. This can really only be used indoors, and in a very large space. I struggle to think of anyone besides "mall cop" being able to put this to good use

[@lamenwatch1877]

​@@alexdyke194 It could sell for good money to amusement parks and carnivals as a novelty ride.

[@Red_Bastion]

@@alexdyke194 Very true (for now, I can theoretically see ways to make it road viable, albeit probably still not overly practical) but still, a small market isn't none! I could totally see people wanting to buy this simply for the fact that it's cool, even if they understand its limitations.

[@ntshade8806]

27:50 yeah, i want one

[@trp]

Same

[@terrenceduarte5348]

Fire.

[@Clarityinlife335]

Exactly

[@Waltkat]

An engineer with imagination and is an artist. Killer combination. Would be great to see this in action at the next Maker Faire Bay Area. Love your projects.

[@Reallyunreallyreal]

Double like. Arts (aka humanities) are what makes us not the same as any other animals, and different from machines. Although even they're getting the hang of arts, in ai sense (pun intent).

[@SiriusTexra]

I literally had exactly this in my head when I was like 12 and have always wondered why no one has made this. I knew it would work.

[@Qysaa]

being an engineer must so satisfying. Just seeing all your stuff come together just how you want it. Too bad I will never be smart enough to be one lol

[@cheryldroffner443]

This really came out great. With a bit more lean you’ll have that Akira Drift look perfected! Great work.

[@Red_Bastion]

@KoopaRipper-dk8sz Why?

[@robit111able]

That's amazing! You know, some time ago, I bought my electric bike, which was then the pinnacle of small electric vehicle technology. Looking at it, I thought, yes, at that moment, it was the state-of-the-art technology, but soon new innovations would come along and make my bike feel "antique." And that's exactly what happened! Well done! It was a pleasure to watch your video. Thank you!

[@oikkuoek]

For user interface: Swap the throttle twist around, so when you pull it it goes forward and push it it goes backwards. Then put the turning into the handlebars and lean gain/ gyro tune to the foot pegs, or additional pedals. This way it would feel more like a conventional bike to ride.

[@dj_daem0n]

The first thing I thought was, instead of a handlebar throttle for turning left and right, take that same mechanism and put it BELOW the entire handlebar itself so you can turn the handlebar left for left thrust and right for right thrust to mimic the front end steering of a bike.

[@mettalforever]

How about tank controlls?

[@Jasper_S]

@@mettalforever this was how i initially interpreted james' explaination on how he programmed the handlebars, like a skidsteer, both forward is driving forwards, both backwards is driving reverse, "twisting" them (so pulling one while pushing the other) steers it.

[@samk4128]

Swapping the throttle twist like that would make it less safe.

[@RaimusValsondra]

Another channel was calling this impractical. Still one of the coolest things I've seen in a while. Could be revolutionary.

[@maxwell_edison]

Oh wow this one's actually pretty smooth. I feel like some of the creations you make don't get past the awkward phase, but this one's just... going, moving, doing exactly what you'd want it to do!

[@lewisweakland]

The level and complexity of this build was amazing but James was explaining every step logically like it was obvious and simple to do!

[@BLUCOPPER123]

24:45 good life lesson right there