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motorised zorb racing

racing motorised zorbs
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A zorb ball is a spherical shell inside of which a rider rides.

The racing zorb is constructed with a double shell and the seat is mounted so that the driver is strapped firmly in position so that the centre of gravity of the combined vehicle and driver is at the geometric centre of the spherical vehicle.

This means the sphere is free to roll in any direction equally.

The sphere is motorised by a remote-control vehicle which runs in the space between the double walls. This little "rider" vehicle is very heavy (mostly from carrying enough batteries to power the whole thing for a while). It has extra sticky non-stick[1] wheels that give excellent grip onto the specially coated interior surface of the outer skin of the device. The "rider" vehicle is also mounted with significant amounts of lead ballast so that there is a perfect balance between control and doughnutting.

The driver strapped into their central seat, controls the "rider" vehicle using a radio control handset.

Any ordinary motor-racing track can be used to stage the championships.

[1] for "non-stick" read "non-slip"

pocmloc, May 29 2021

Pneumatic Spherical Robot https://www.researc...le_Pneumatic_Method
Might work at human-zorb-scale..? [neutrinos_shadow, May 31 2021]

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       //extra sticky non-stick wheels//   

       Let me guess; these travel over an extra slippery non- slip surface.
pertinax, May 29 2021
  

       // Any ordinary motor-racing track can be used //   

       Yes, but think how much better a giant pinball machine would be.
pertinax, May 29 2021
  

       You have to sign up as teams of eleven people. Ten people take turns being the pins for three tries at knocking them over.
No steering. Aim and shoot. Lean to curve.
  

       (+)   

       There is no seat pivot.
pocmloc, May 30 2021
  

       What's with all this "seat" garbage? Real zorbers are free inside the zorb; the better you are, the more upright you can remain (sometimes a little water + detergent inside helps). See linky for an alternative method of propulsion.
neutrinos_shadow, May 31 2021
  

       Oh goodness I didn't realise I was expected to think as well! I'd need to increase my fee a lot for that. My agent will be in touch.
pocmloc, May 31 2021
  

       Actually it is all specified in great detail in the original idea. The driver is firmly strapped into the seat; the seat is permanently mounted within the spherical shell. The inner shell and outer shell are connected presumably by pillars which the lead-clad "rider" vehicle has to avoid. There are no moving parts except for the fingers of the driver, the controls of the control box and the rider vehicle itself. Yes the driver turns over and over as the sphere rolls, this limits the speed attainable, but that is part of the challenge of driving this thing.   

       Alternative configurations are possible but they would be a different idea, this idea is for the setup specified.
pocmloc, May 31 2021
  

       Why the double layer? Just have the driver in a go cart cup, driving/skidding on the inner layer of the zorb.The cart could be a spherical bearing frame as to support periods of upside down driver.
wjt, Jun 05 2021
  


 

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