# How could I create this glowing orb?



## cbmar (Sep 20, 2006)

I like the idea of these glowing orbs. http://www.tangibleinteraction.com/gallery/zygote

From the site, they look quite large and fairly bright. How difficult do you think it would be to create the internal lights if I could figure out where to find an appropriately sized ball to fill with helium?

"Emitting light via internal LED lights, this lightweight helium filled orb responds to human touch - changing colour as it is punched, tapped, slapped or squeezed. With the ability to communicate each touch back to a computer program, zygote can also be used to control and manipulate music and video in real time.

Conversely, zygote can be controlled dynamically via computer, making it a stand out piece of decorative light which requires no physical interaction to change colour.

This unique ball transforms otherwise ordinary events into multi-dimensional, interactive playgrounds that actively engage audience members in a holistic shared experience.

Furthermore, without any interaction, both the Zygote or Telophase can be used as a stationary light installation controled, live, like a DJ mixes music. Creating completely holistic, fun, interactive experiences is easy with the Zygote or Telophase."


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## fritz42_male (May 5, 2009)

The idea is excellent but the wording of the website makes them look like narcissitic techno freaks who love themselves too much.

I can see that making a basic colour changing zygote would be relatively easy (colour changing LEDS hooked up to a small battery in a helium balloon) but how to get it to respond to touch and computer control would be a lot more difficult.

My daughter was zorbing recently and I thought how interesting it would be to zorb across the surface of a large crowd like this with lights attached to whoever was in the zorb ball.


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## joshua17ss2 (Jan 10, 2008)

you could use a micro-controller with an accelerometer to tell the chip the balloon was hit and moving, which could change the color. if you have some kind of Mylar coated balloon, you could have a sort of capacitance sensor that can read when people touch it. for computer control you could look toward RF, or blue-tooth to connect a controller up to your computer.


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## Revenant (Mar 17, 2007)

You can have the light-up ones. I want one of the white ones. With the enclosed locomotion system included.


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## Front Yard Fright (Dec 23, 2005)

They look like theose big ass Omnikin balls from gym class!

http://images.google.com/images?hl=en&source=hp&q=omnikin ball&um=1&ie=UTF-8&sa=N&tab=wi

I'm sure you could get just a white one and put some sort of lighting source on in inside suspended by fishing line or something.

Good luck!
:jol:.


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## hpropman (Jul 27, 2008)

You can use a microcontroller with a piezoelectric sensor like this one:

http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2062402

any vibrations will generate a voltage in the piezo and then the microcontroller can change the led color or whatever you wanted it to do.


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## corey872 (Jan 10, 2010)

Sounds like a good start. I'm guessing they just use red/green/blue LED's firing into some sort of frosted/translucent chunk of plastic. The light coming out would be diffuse, filling the whole orb and would be a color based on the brightness of each LED - and since you've got RG and B channels, almost any color would be possible, just like a single pixel on a TV.


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## GRP (Aug 18, 2009)

I found these web pages that might put you in the right direction for the ball part at lest.
These balls go up to 8' across - some even light up via glow sticks. I know that they won't change color for you but maybe it's a place to start? Maybe a clear light in the color balls?






Amazon.com: (Price/EA)US Games Hugrs 50inch (127 CM) Green (Price for each): Sports & [email protected]@[email protected]@http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/[email protected]@[email protected]@21Y1J5J0TEL


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