audio
kinetic ball machines
An
intriguing machine that is surprisingly visitor-driven. Acrobatic
balls roll down a maze of complex tracking to activate a variety
of whimsical devices which include a rocking pendulum, elevator
car, ring hanging chimes, bells, xylos, drums, and strum a string
harp. The principal of conversion of potential into kinetic energy
is well illustrated.
View
different audio kinetic ball machines in place:
description
of the machine
Though each machine has a unique "personality" they
all contain the features outlined below:
- the
balls are lifted to the top of the machine by "Kid
Power" via the translation of rotary motion into linear
motion
- the
piece contains a number of sound producing devices, e.g.,
chimes, bells, xylos, wood percussion blocks
- a
pendulum made up of a series of individual pendulums, illustrating
chaotic
motion
- bounce
and catch, where a ball falls precisely onto an angled
plate and bounces into a catcher
- spin
bowl device in which the balls rotate, falling slowly into
a hole in the bottom and then out
- action
reaction, one ball colliding with a line of stationary balls,
the resultant force removes
a ball from the other
end
- down
spring helix, a ball enters a spring shaped tube and is caught
in its spin around the spring by centrifugal
force until
it reaches the bottom and drops out
- rock-back
device, a ball enters a balanced arm, rotates over from the
weight of
the ball, and then returns
back to the
beginning due to inertia
- dip
track, a ball enters a track with a dip, at the bottom of the
dip there is an exit,
but the
ball
cannot leave
the track
until its energy is dissipated enough for it
to fall out
- elevator with
governor device, where the weight of a ball causes a counter
weight to rise, a
shaft rotates
at a speed
governed
by a fan blade; the fall of the ball is slowed;
upon reaching the bottom, the ball leaves the elevator, the
counterweight
begins to fall and returns the elevator to
the top
at a controlled speed
to receive the next ball.
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