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omnidirectional drift bike with wheels made of circus balls glides in any direction

James Bruton creates his own omnidirectional bike

 

James Bruton builds his own omnidirectional bike with wheels made of large plastic circus balls that can drift and rotate 360 degrees. The ride can balance on its own, thanks to the two giant, rotating wheels. It drives in every direction, which is why it’s also a drift bike. In the video documenting the bike’s creation, the electrical and mechanical engineer uses five ODrive brushless motors to make the bike’s omnidirectional wheels move around. They run on plastic balls intended for circus acts to balance on. In a way, he has repurposed them as ‘flexible’ tires.

 

James Bruton positions the wheels 120 degrees apart so that they can move sideways. They also have small rollers around their circumference to make this action possible. With this setup, the omnidirectional bike can also propel itself forward and reverse. The engineer mounts the motors at a 90-degree angle to improve the high-speed performance. Only two of the three omnidirectional wheels are powered because the third acts as an ‘idle’ wheel. The motors connect to the omni wheels using a belt and pulley system with a gear reduction.

james bruton omnidirectional bike
all images courtesy of James Bruton

 

 

CIRCUS-BALL wheels and 3D printed parts for the ride

 

Many parts around James Bruton’s omnidirectional bike with circus-ball (or rolling globe) wheels are 3D printed. These include the motor mounts and structural components. There are motors and drivers on board to allow for precise control of position, velocity, and torque. For the frame of the bike, the engineer forges it from aluminum extrusion, which he describes as a versatile material that can let him make adjustments and mount parts easily.

 

Aluminum plates connect the motors to the frame. For the electronics, James Bruton uses a Teensy 4.1 microcontroller and an Inertial Measurement Unit for balance sensing and other control circuitry. The omnidirectional bike with circus ball wheels has high-voltage lithium polymer batteries. When it’s time to test his invention, James Bruton first goes for the drive system with a single ball. This helps him verify the ride’s traction and movement. 

james bruton omnidirectional bike
James Bruton builds his own omnidirectional bike with trackball-styled wheels that can drift

 

 

Solving the glitches and electronics damage

 

After that, he tests his omnidirectional bike’s ability to balance sideways, given its circus-ball wheels. Then, he adds handlebars and a seat, as well as twist grips for steering and throttle control. The initial design faces wheel spin, especially during acceleration. To solve this, the engineer plants an additional motor on the rear wheel. Then, James Bruton notices that static buildup becomes a problem, causing glitches and potential damage to the electronics. 

 

He sweeps in with a solution by grounding the entire chassis and all metal parts. So far, the rubber rollers on the omni wheels begin to detach at higher speeds, causing the omnidirectional bike to become unstable. The balls also get dirty over time, which reduces traction. Amidst all that, the engineer feels that the ‘steer to lean’ system has improved the ride’s handling. He also believes that the project, in many ways, is a DIY success.

james bruton omnidirectional bike
James Bruton positions the wheels 120 degrees apart so that they can move sideways

the engineer mounts the motors at a 90-degree angle to improve the high-speed performance
the engineer mounts the motors at a 90-degree angle to improve the high-speed performance

only two of the three omnidirectional wheels are powered because the third acts as an ‘idle’ wheel
only two of the three omnidirectional wheels are powered because the third acts as an ‘idle’ wheel

many parts around James Bruton’s omnidirectional bike with trackball-styled wheels are 3D printed
many parts around James Bruton’s omnidirectional bike with trackball-styled wheels are 3D printed

omni-directional-bike-trackball-styled-wheels-james-bruton-designboom-ban

there are motors and drivers on board to allow for precise control of position, velocity, and torque

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