Cat ball?

[DaJe]

I just had an idea for a non-computer related mod. I have this little cat toy plastic ball that has something in it that rattles when it's rolled. My cat loves to attack it. Just give it a roll and he runs into it, knocking it so it rolls some more, making him attack it more. But then sometimes it stops, and he waits for it to move again. So, what if I was able to put something inside that would cause it to roll, and be able to be controlled by a remote. Seems like something easy and cheap to do. I'm just not sure what I could do it with though. Any ideas?

[Bucko]

How big is the ball?

All you would need is an electric motor, battery pack and RC receiver in it.
Have the motor, batteries and receiver secured and a weight on the motor shaft to spin.

The torque reaction will make the ball move a little, which is all you are after so the cat goes for it again.

[DaJe]

Small enough to fit in my palm. And even if I bought a bigger ball to do this with, I wouldn't want it to be huge.

[Bucko]

A battery pack, motor and receiver could be smaller than the size of a clenched fist easily. You aren't looking for long runs with the motor, just enough to get the ball to move again, so a 4xAA battery pack could power the receiver and motor easily. Even an old dual PS2 Dual Shock motor would do the trick.

[DaJe]

Maybe I could use something from the many old RC cars I have laying around. Or perhaps I could take the motor from an old Xbox controller. Think I could use a battery source smaller than 4 AA? Maybe smaller lengthwise than a AA.

[Bucko]

It was more for the voltage the RC receivers I have work on. 4xAAA would work too. I forgot to mention the speed controller to connect to the RC receiver and the motor. I have some very small ones somewhere in my box of RC stuff.
Or maybe that was in the stuff I threw out when I moved a couple of months ago...

[DaJe]

Alright, to start off I have 3 motors here, and could pull another one off the back wheels of an RC car if needed.



http://codeinsurrection.com/pics/computer/mod/PICT7544.JPG



I was thinking maybe I should use the one with the small offset weight. I'm not sure exactly how I'm going to hook this all together though. I do have a solkdering iron.

[Crimson Sky]

Or you can just get one of these motorized Cat toys (http://www.cattoys.com/catwiggleball.html)

[DaJe]

Yeha, but where would be the fun in that? Well, sure. It'd be fun to have the cat chase it. But the real fun is in self-modding!

[Crimson Sky]

The fun would be in hacking it and adding a remote, NiCad pack and LEDs ;)

[Guardian]

Or you can just get one of these motorized Cat toys (http://www.cattoys.com/catwiggleball.html)

Man you know better! pshh.... computer modding forum...buying toys that are pre-modded.... I'm disapointed....

You're lucky, My cat doesn't attack anything exept a peice of string... Like if a roll a small little cat ball to him...he gets scared...

[Crimson Sky]

Man you know better! pshh.... computer modding forum...buying toys that are pre-modded.... I'm disapointed....

You're lucky, My cat doesn't attack anything exept a peice of string... Like if a roll a small little cat ball to him...he gets scared...

Modding is also about getting found or cheap objects and modifying them, not necessarily building from scratch. Obviously you've never modded anything ;) The average Joe who wants to put turbo in a car doesnt start by building a car.

[Drew]

Superb idea man.

+ rep for coming up with a mod for a cat toy... of all the things...

[DaJe]

The fun would be in hacking it and adding a remote, NiCad pack and LEDs ;)

I like your style. Maybe I should make like some demon mouse thing that I can control.