How would one go about creating the software for this project? The marbles go from side to side and it is like bowl shape.
You would want some sort of physics simulator.
Might be one of the Solidworks Kids Apps would work for this:
https://www.solidworks.com/product/solidworks-apps-kids
An opensource tool which might work for this would be:
Or, you could just program it in a 3D tool which allows programming and animation such as OpenSCAD or Blender.
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Would it be possible to make this using 3d tools in Pro? A bowl with transecting paths.
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Yes, but getting the angles just so would be a matter of trial and error — probably better to create it in a 3D CAD program such as Alibre Atom or Autodesk Fusion 360 or Dune3d or FreeCAD.
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Looking at the math for this (very briefly, so I might be off), the velocity curve for each ball is sinusoidal.
I believe this would resolve to a perfectly spherical shape defined by the bottom of each groove.
Conceptually designing it is one thing. How to make it actually work is another. The grooves would have to be nearly perfect, smooth, and a pretty hard material to reduce friction.
Starting the balls would be another challenge. They all need to start at the end of a groove, and be released in perfect time to create the illusion of a moving circle.
Entropy would be another issue. With each cycle the length of travel will decrease, making the circle smaller and eventually the balls will collide. Perhaps the actual product has a revolving magnet beneath the surface to keep the balls at a constant velocity to prevent this??
I don’t see any site that sells this, only the videos of it in action. ??
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Okay. So really one does not need a bowl, one only needs the paths which makes it simpler to do. The radius in the z plane also does not matter as long as all paths are the same. However, a very slight radius may be better so the balls move very slow. This might be fun to play with…I’m thinking aluminum with steel balls 7 inches or so path lengths. Leveling feet and integrated bubble. Ill add this to my list of way too many projects. Cheers.
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