Satisfying Looping GIF but Real.

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In case you've found yourself wondering what it might be like if an oddly satisfying looping GIF came to exist in the real world, I am here to answer that question for you.
I designed a looping ball machine, complete with a scissor lift mechanism, a 3D printed chain and sprocket, and a full gear train. All this to complete the mission of moving a segment of track just in time to allow a ball safe passage.
After adding a feedback sensor and some arduino based code, the system is timed to perfectly grab the ball, creating a satisfying loop that will go forever.
00:35 Design Process
03:01 Build Process
05:00 Iterating
05:51 Frying Electronics
07:30 Final Results
Artist Renderings Featured:
/ wannerstedt
/ arbenl1berateme
If you would like to support the creation of more projects like these, check out my patreon- / jbvcreative
Much of this project was printed on my Bambulab X1 Carbon which I HIGHLY recommend (seriously, nothing beats it) Here’s my affiliate link: shrsl.com/2a5d5-2yn7-1cwx9
My website has some fun stuff that you can 3D print if you have a 3D printer:
jbvcreative.com
For an uninterrupted run of the sculpture, check out this video:
• Oddly Satisfying GIF i...

[@mongolpunctro]

Challenge: Can you do an almost perpetual motion design, that uses just a small solar panel to work? In order to work durring day without a battery.

[@JBVCreative]

Oooh good challenge! I'm going to think about it!

[@vylbird8014]

i.ebayimg.com/images/g/DfgAAOSwSHpimBzz/s-l1600.jpg

[@ianbelletti6241]

Add a rechargeable battery to the mix and a solar panel strong enough to charge the battery at the same time the panel powers the mechanism. Then you don't need to worry about it stopping even in temporary darkness.

[@totally_not_a_bot]

​@@ianbelletti6241A capacitor fits that description perfectly, and is cheaper, simpler, faster, safer and more efficient than a battery with a charge controller.

[@ianbelletti6241]

@@totally_not_a_bot you don't always need a charge controller. It depends on battery type. On top of that, some lithium batteries come with built in charge controllers. Just look at the AA rechargeable lithium batteries.

[@travisSimon365]

If you are considering a v2, I would love to see a version where a ball is moved by rocking the entire frame (thus removing the lever to lift the ball). It would be difficult, but the software could employ a PID controller to get smooth motion.

[@JBVCreative]

Ooh thats a very cool idea! Might have to use that in a future project

[@lizekamtombe2223]

Attach the camera to the tilting frame and a smooth background so you don't see the motion.

[@BlckAria]

Honestly, I feel like the little drop before the ball gets picked up adds to the illusion. It looks like even that has been animated. I love it!

[@JBVCreative]

Thank you!!

[@JKBrickworks]

Very nice! Another fantastic little contraption.

[@JBVCreative]

Appreciate it 😀

[@ianbelletti6241]

​@@JBVCreativethe whole timing issue may just be motor speed. It would be a little more mesmerizing if you could perfect the motor speed instead of varying it. The first attempt appears that you have the rotation set too low.

[@carmin.e]

i didnt know you were here!

[@jif23]

hi jkbrickworks

[@lanceanthony198]

Great video, and the end result is mesmerizing. I would love to see an episode 2 on this “real life satisfying GIF” idea at some point in the future where you try to get everything perfectly smooth and synchronized, with a new unique design

[@JBVCreative]

Definitely going to be making more of these! And they will be perfect 🙌

[@jorenminer8817]

Awesome project, absolutely love desk display things like this. And that beat. Now needs a few other similar machines with other sounds, to make a mesmerizing orchestra

[@JBVCreative]

Ooh the machine orchestra is an amazing concept

[@ElectroBOOM]

Cool, man!

[@JBVCreative]

Thank you sir!

[@SayonR]

Quick, interesting and calming build! Great work again by industrial designer Jay!

[@JBVCreative]

Appreciate it 🙏🙏 ID Jay says thanks ☺️

[@barakrl]

I had my perpetual doubts until I saw that the ball is lifted back up, and boy did you deliver. It’s mesmerizing. Great video.

[@JBVCreative]

Thank you 🙏

[@TundraTheBlueQuaker]

We need a long form video of just this thing running... it's so mesmerizing!

[@JBVCreative]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/hHSwp3-dibllmKcsi=_RK2VmOFvHfihfsT 🙌🙌

[@natevplas]

Cool! I love those satisfying 3D animations too! This may be just part of your process that you leave out, but do you ever run a physics simulation on your machines before you build/print them? I'm a 3D animator myself and use Maxon Cinema 4D which has a physics engine that's pretty easy to use. I'm sure Blender does too. It made me think on this one that if you simulated it accurately enough, you could tweak the dimensions, slopes, etc until the ball lined up with the paddle arm at the end without the sensor and motor speed change.

[@JBVCreative]

I definitely need to spend more time with physics engines! Generally speaking my computer is not powerful enough to hand them haha, gonna need to fix that and improve in this area

[@TheAstronomyDude]

I like it. It has a good beat. All mechanical systems should have a good beat to let you know they're working right.

[@JBVCreative]

Very true!

[@vladmunteanu5864]

Love the rythme to it, sounds very satisfying on top of the visuals!

[@JBVCreative]

Glad you like it!

[@jesusflores3070]

It felt unreal, exactly why you made it. Congratulations!!!

[@JBVCreative]

Mission accomplished!

[@slimebud]

Bro, you are an inspiration. And seeing how you have gone through almost every comment and given a reply is so cool, I have a lot of respect for you. It would be cool If for a future project you can make a cool contraption that your subs make with you. Like you make a simple template and they design a unique mechanism off of it, build it, test it, and send it to you to add to the others.

[@JBVCreative]

Love that idea! Definitely going to have to slot that in to a future project. Appreciate it 👊

[@diamabolo]

great work! these balltrack animations are always an inspiration....also works with rollercoaster tracks

[@JBVCreative]

Thank you! It would be cool with roller coaster tracks as well!

[@willcarter7079]

That shutter speed roll from the shop lights is brutal

[@HomeWithDrew]

That was super satisfying and really therapeutic hearing it tick along

[@TheMightyCumpy]

Arben’s ball designs are so satisfying yet so simple

[@awdturbopowah773]

Really cool! Great concept, and I can't wait to see you do more of these! 👍

[@JBVCreative]

Lots of concepts in the works!

[@PossiblyAxolotl]

It’d be so cool to see a bunch of these satisfying renders turned real at some kind of event like maker faire or open sauce

[@jaxsel806]

Really cool! I had some sort of art block in blender but not anymore lol

[@JBVCreative]

Let's go!!

[@MrEdwardhartmann]

In 1968 I went to the World's Fair (Hemisphere '68) in San Antonio, TX. In one of the display areas, they had a machine that just fascinated me. It was a very simple machine consisting of a box mounted in a wall with a glass front. On the base of the box toward the front were two polished metal pads about 3" in diameter. Directly between the two pads was a shaft about 4" tall with a rotating hoop on top of it. Directly behind the two metal pads and about 6" above the base of the box were two holes in the back wall. About every second or two, a metal ball just big enough to fit through the hole would fall out of the hole on the right, drop down and land on the metal pad on the right. The surface of the metal pad had a compound angle that would bounce the ball and change its direction toward the spinning hoop. As the ball reached the hoop, its rotation would just align with the ball to allow it to pass through, ark down and hit the second pad where the direction was again changed and the ball bounced up and through the hole in the back on the left side of the box. Repeat indefinitely. A bunch of us probably watched this display for over an hour. Since that was 55 years ago, my recollection of the sizes might be off, but I will never forget how much fun it was watching this thing. We may have gentled "tapped" on the glass a few times to see if we could make the ball miss the hoop, but I think it was engineered with that possibility in mind because we did not break anything and it never "dropped the ball".

[@JBVCreative]

That sounds really cool! Definitely sparks some ideas!

[@HardBud]

Dude that's DAMN creative! Amazing content as always 👍

[@JBVCreative]

Thank you!! Appreciate it 🙏

[@Creative_Electronics]

Nice video and the results looks great! Very satisfying to watch it in action!

[@JBVCreative]

Thank you!! Agreed :)

[@levifzephyr]

Oooooh ! So nice and cool project! Good job ! I am happy that you're able to waste your time a way I can't so I can still enjoy your creative creations without having to / being able to build them. 👍👌🏻

[@KrazyKaiser]

Your machine has something those GIFs can't have: Satisfying mechanical noises.

[@JBVCreative]

*Natural ones too! 🙏🙏

[@MicrobyteAlan]

Nicely imagined, designed, and engineered.

[@JBVCreative]

Thank you!!

[@Jett-n-gin]

Thank you for making the music have the same BPM as the machine. Itched my musical brain

[@JBVCreative]

👊👊🙏🙏🙏

[@dalebob9364]

You deserve so many more subscribers! Your channel is awesome and you don't inject a bunch of hypothetical science 🙏

[@TommyRaines]

Nice NB You can't expect something to tke longer than expected !!

[@MakeForOthers]

Delightful! Nice job sticking with it and putting in the work to get to awesome!

[@JBVCreative]

Appreciate it!!

[@PastaLuke]

Very relaxing! I love it! 👏

[@JBVCreative]

Agreed! Thanks 😀

[@randfur]

I want a 1 hour video of this just going with the camera mechanically rotating around it.

[@make.anything]

Hah! Nailed the satisfying gif aesthetic. Awesome work

[@JBVCreative]

Thank you!! Mission accomplished 🙌

[@bentsprockettech]

That's crazy man. Thanks for sharing this with us.

[@JBVCreative]

Thanks for watching 👊👊

[@TheRealStructurer]

Very nice. Almost perfect. From the top it looks great but from the side there is a tiny bit adjustment needed. Thanks for sharing 👍🏼

[@thamires.magalhaes]

Love your attention to detail there, the speed change in the rotation made a huge difference in the smoothness

[@JBVCreative]

Thanks for appreciating! Definitely a big part of my process

[@thamires.magalhaes]

@@JBVCreative yeah, I noticed from the other projects, the perfectionism in me appreciates your extra effort haha

[@ALL_that_ENDS]

You should be apart of every engineering and artist repertoire, genius

[@JBVCreative]

🙏🙏🙏

[@MarkArmour]

U should film a loop in slow-mo, which is a staple of those satisfying gifs.

[@kentabenno]

I love how it just looks like stop motion animation

[@ChemicalArts]

Nice. I like how you showed the iterative process of tweaking things to get it to work. As always, i enjoy your work. Decided to subscribe to your Patreon.

[@JBVCreative]

Thank you! Really appreciate the sub!

[@john7027]

Jay, 👏 You know what I am going to say. You never cease to amaze!

[@JBVCreative]

Thanks John!!!

[@silversilk8438]

Mesmerized and satisfied viewer. The scissors and cam work do well!!

[@JBVCreative]

Appreciate it!!

[@ZenBeepBop]

honestly the sound itself sent me into hypnosis

[@JBVCreative]

Agreed!

[@Frank-Y]

I love the sound even more! Mesmerizing!

[@JBVCreative]

Happy accident 🙌

[@justinbanks2380]

3:15 Jay goes heavy metal!!! Yeah, look at those sparks!

[@ThunderSmell]

Shoutout to Morley for interviewing you. I love your videos!!

[@JBVCreative]

Seriously! Shout out to Morley 🙌

[@mistahhbeangaming8127]

The mechanism makes a good beat

[@polychoron]

I like the clapping, embrace it! Each KZbinr has their signature quirks that fans come to love.

[@JBVCreative]

🙏🙏👏👏

[@slice-the-pi]

i love that you seem to have accidentally learned to do clap syncs via osmosis from watching other creators' youtube videos without realizing what their purpose was

[@JBVCreative]

🤣🤣

[@tryingblender3556]

I love the design, would like to become an engineer when I finished school, and your very inspiering. I was wondering if you could make the speed of the ball pusher variabel by using a shell gear. I think it would make the design that mutch more satisfying. Really hope you read this.

[@JBVCreative]

Thank you! That’s an interesting thought, might have to put it to use on a future project!

[@NickCombs]

I think it could be improved by having the scissor lift go back down slower so that it gets in position just as the ball meets the gap. That should be possible with just a different shape of cam.

[@swilson42]

Very cool! Couple things to really bring it home would be to adjust the timing of the bridge piece so it arrives in both places JUST as it is needed instead of being in place a moment before it is needed, and then eliminating that stutter entirely for the ball lift. Maybe make that part a continuous rubber belt that uses friction to grab the ball instead of a hard swinging arm? Really great regardless though, keep it up! Would love to see other types of these satisfying machines made in real life.

[@tysonion01]

This really was great! Thank you,

[@JBVCreative]

Appreciate it! 🙏🙏

[@davinlaroche3029]

Super well done! And you clap out of excitement! Many people do.

[@JBVCreative]

Thank you 👏🤭

[@ianbelletti6241]

Jay: "Don't you just love it when a plan comes together?" Hannibal: "I love it when a plan comes together."

[@JBVCreative]

😈😈

[@ianbelletti6241]

@@JBVCreative 🪖🪖🪖🪖

[@BentleyThomas]

Totally mesmerising!

[@JBVCreative]

😵‍💫😵‍💫

[@diy_wizard]

Really cool to see your process as a professional engineer!

[@JBVCreative]

Thanks! Trying to get better at sharing it!

[@brogaming1681]

That’s so mesmerizing

[@JBVCreative]

🚗🚙🚌🚐🚕

[@sirgaming1556]

I am building an inverted pendulum at the moment and I would love to see a fully built version made by you. Also its kinda challenging I would say. Maybe a interesting challenge for you?

[@JBVCreative]

I’ve actually always wanted to do it but haven’t gotten around to it yet, may have to put it on the project list!

[@augustus6660]

You should really do one of those 10 hour videos of just this looping.

[@JBVCreative]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/hHSwp3-dibllmKc 🤓

[@coder0xff]

Great first go. I'm looking forward to something more difficult.

[@JBVCreative]

Thanks! More to come!

[@richardsousa4585]

Looks great, awesome job😎👍

[@JBVCreative]

Thanks Richard!

[@dingdove1]

The little drop at the end works because it adds to the rhythm of the machine.

[@JBVCreative]

I’ll take it 😂

[@dadmitri4259]

The sound it makes only adds to the experience

[@JBVCreative]

Happy accidents 🙌

[@Liepez]

Love it!

[@JBVCreative]

Thank you!!

[@katherinebruegel6349]

I really appreciated your observation about the build up and release of tension relating to the satisfaction of this art, do you think that is something you will continue to apply to your kinetic sculptures in the future?

[@JBVCreative]

Maybe! Depends on the sculpture but definitely worth keeping it in mind!

[@d00dieb0x]

Yes, mechanics meet the emotional quirks of us humans. However, I think the up/down movement could have been smoother and tighter to actually achieve this 'will he make it'.

[@How_To_Drive_a_TARDIS]

Oh my God that looks amazing

[@JBVCreative]

🙏🙏

[@wiredweird]

how do you not have 1 million subscribers already?? your videos are amazing!!

[@JBVCreative]

Thank you!! Step by step

[@justinbanks2380]

6:09 noooo! You let out the ghost in the circuits! You never want to let out the ghosts!

[@3DPrinterAcademy]

lol the different characters at the beginning😂😂😂

[@JBVCreative]

🙈🙈🙈

[@3DPrinterAcademy]

@@JBVCreative was great, loved the editing on this vid

[@j.v.9936]

Damn, that’s nice. the sound of the ball when it hits the lower rails is really sharp, reminds me of ice skates.

[@JBVCreative]

Ooh yess! I can totally hear that

[@ned_mograph5957]

Great work!

[@JBVCreative]

Appreciate it!

[@epichickensoup]

That was so satisfying🥰

[@JBVCreative]

🙌🙌🙌👊👊👊

[@miniontoby]

Al though your videos are a little short, they are fun to watch!

[@christianfrandfors6258]

Hi, just a thought. Instead of varying the speed of the arm you could widen the tracks on that side so much that the ball spins further on the "sides" and thereby moving slower. I.e. solving the problem the analog way instead of digital. Thanks for great videos, Christian (from Sweden)

[@whatsonchannelB]

Great engineering. Try filming in 60 or 120fps and playing it back at 0.5x or 0.25x speed, and remove all sound. Bet it will be more .GIF like.

[@JBVCreative]

Definitely worth a shot

[@jonthemachine1970]

Great stuff

[@JBVCreative]

Thank you!!!

[@vikingnoise]

Very satisfying.

[@joepie221]

I enjoy watching the creative process. Well done. Comment, is the center elevator bridge/lift just for mechanical pizzazz or does it really serve a purpose? 2nd...What type of 3-D printer are you using? The parts look great. Stay well.

[@JBVCreative]

Mainly for some pizzazz and ‘suspense’

[@joepie221]

@@JBVCreative What 3D printer do you use?

[@JBVCreative]

@@joepie221 the x1 carbon has been my go to these days!

[@BohicaJones22]

Well Done!!

[@JBVCreative]

Thank you!

[@dullxdaggers]

very cool. top view is the most smooth i think

[@ChrstphreCampbell]

I was thinking that it would be more challenging and more interesting if it was made entirely of Lego, and this is not nearly as hypnotic as the fake ones - it should’ve contained more integrated, finely tuned clockwork units ( ? )

[@riffhammeron]

A very easy change that would be cool would be to change the cam shape a bit so that the bridge arrives at the lower track at the exact time the ball does.

[@EliMorJP]

WOOOOWWW we want more like this...❤❤❤❤

[@JBVCreative]

More to come 😀

[@danconnelly1300]

My cat couldn't take his eyes off the TV when it was up & running Very Cool!

[@JBVCreative]

😂😂😂

[@InterestedLlama]

Fun! Love your stuff Perhaps you may solve the small ball drop issue by inserting a small ball bearing in the center of the 3D printed ball then mount a magnet on either side of the upper acrylic casing (towards the middle-top of the arch). That way the ball would have some help against gravity while waiting for the arm to catch up and push it along.

[@JBVCreative]

Thank you! Thats a very interesting thought! You’re definitely on to something there

[@mattw7949]

I'm never disappointed when I stop in here. Absolutely love what you do. Your prints always look awesome... way better than mine. Could you make a video just on your printing / post processing?

[@JBVCreative]

Thanks Matt! Theres not much process to my prints, the machines do a great job and the cameras dont pick up the imperfections on the white filament that well. Thanks for stopping in 🙏

[@GalliumHoneyBadger]

I was wondering if thats some magic fillament. You cant even see the wall lines.

[@diy_wizard]

4:41 - Engineers dance like a scissor mechanism 😅

[@JBVCreative]

😬😬

[@dingdove1]

6:09 Noooo! You let out the magic smoke! Electronics need that smoke inside to work!

[@JBVCreative]

I knowwwww 🤬🤬🤬

[@helicopterdriver]

Make the paddle a soft wheel that compresses onto the ball and spins it up the rails as soon as it arrives. Would make the lift immediate and smoother, plus difficult to detect from a distance if the drive system was obscured and the drive wheel's speed synced with arrival speed of the ball. There would be some backspin at the release in the top section to figure in offsets for as well... It's just math, and time... :D A striped ball would look pretty cool too. Nice work!

[@reddcube]

Gotta love that fluorescent light flicker

[@JBVCreative]

😬😬

[@Tekila0]

I respect the ten hun shirt! Love to see creators supporting creators!

[@Tekila0]

Also are the cinematic shots of the completed machine in low fps? The effect it gave was sick!

[@JBVCreative]

It was a little lower fps! Happy you think its cool, wasnt too sure about it

[@JBVCreative]

Also TenHun is a legend

[@oiausdlkasuldhflaksjdhoiausydo]

BEAUTIFUL

[@JBVCreative]

Thank you! 😊

[@samchereskin418]

So fun to watch. I know you’ve thought about varying the cam profile so it’s truly just in time on both tracks to simultaneously raise suspense/satisfaction. Is it worth your time? At least one viewer would appreciate knowing! 🤓🙂

[@JBVCreative]

The timing turned out to be quite tricky on this but it might be worth another iteration!

[@caseykoons]

Very nice! Mesmerizing!

[@JBVCreative]

Glad you think so!

[@NonEuclideanTacoCannon]

Even the sound is very satisfying. Though, if it were a permanent installation in like, my study or something it would probably drive me crazy after a while.

[@JBVCreative]

Haha yup!

[@Rouverius]

yezzz. great build!

[@JBVCreative]

Thank you!! 👊👊

[@TheIronHeadRat]

That’s great, thanks for the video 👍

[@JBVCreative]

Thanks for watching!!