Originally published at: https://boingboing.net/2020/07/20/this-robotic-plate-can-catch.html
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Daniel Koditschek’s lab was making things like this in the '90s. What I remember as particularly notable was that it didn’t require any calculation of velocities or planning – it was enough to have a rule that said “if the ball is here, move to be there”. Which fits pretty well with what I know as a juggler; rhythm is emergent, not imposed.
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Not only functional but also beautiful design work and fabrication. Well done young sir.
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Pretty cool. I had to try really hard to stay with the video long enough to see the thing in operation. The opening shots annoyed me quite a bit because I wanted to see the actual works and just got teasing poorly lit panning shots.
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There is something beautiful about the seeming imprecision of this and the basketball backboard. The surface seems to have more momentum and the linkages more flex than the servos can control perfectly. It feels organic in a way that expensive robotic arms with millimeter precision can’t mimic.
Would be very cool to see one of these contraptions used to deflect tear gas canisters back at the launcher in a protest. Rubber bullets even better.
Finally a solution for all my ball-balancing needs!
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