Alectric Labs

Ball Contraption

The ball contraption is an entertaining machine that has two circulating balls, one red and one blue. There are two pathways that the balls can travel along. First, a ball is lifted out of a container by a vertical conveyor belt and dumped onto a pathway. After the ball rolls a short distance, a light sensor determines the color of the ball. Based on the ball's color, a motor adjusts a bar to send the ball down one of two pathways.
The blue ball follows the shorter pathway and encounters a lever with a weight on one side. When the blue ball lands on the lever, the lever swings down on the side opposite the weight and returns the ball to the container.

The red ball follows the longer pathway and drops down onto a track where it is pushed onto a second conveyer belt by a lever that is connected to a motor. The red ball is carried up along the conveyer belt onto another track. The ball then rolls back into the container.

Pictures of the Contraption

Front View
Back View
Left Side View conveyor belt for the red ball
Right Side View motor for adjusting the path switching bar
The light sensor (upper left) is used to determine which path the switcher will send the ball down.
Ball container and vertical belt
Weighted lever for the blue ball