In Pursuit of a Wild Hare - Scurrying Bowl - now Bot Pot

keeping our fingers crossed for this project's success! I'd like to see a video of ten of these bowls moving randomly in a room. Have you figured out thsi bowkl will always be on the floor? no table top for these, huh? take care!

Well I've encountered a hurdle (and things were going so well). The little Bot I'm using can only handle about 2 1/4 ounces (about 62 grams) of weight and still be able to move. BotPot #1 currently weighs 220 grams or about 6 1/2 ounces.

Because I started with green wood (dumb choice) - this thing is warping - which means centering is out - but I'm still close. THAT means I can't thin the walls much more without risking turning through the side - a definite No No given how much time I've got in this piece. Next time I'll start with a more stabile wood - and dry to begin with.

As the piece dries, in addition to continuing to warp, it'll get lighter, but not 70 percent lighter. So it looks like this piece is going to have to have a LOT of piercing in order to get it light enough to work. That's a real pity because I lik the look of the grain and the One Half Dark and One Half Light thing.

That's the drawback to doing dynamic pieces - still photographs dont' show the piece as you'd experience it first hand. A video would be necessary - but the file sizes are too big for newsgroup and forums.

As for ten of these things - this first one's really testing my limited attention span. Two or three I could probably do. Ten? Don't hold your breath.

When this thing runs into a wall it'll back up and turn left then go foreward again. So if it' in a display case - or in a large shallow bowl with vertical side walls . . .

HexBug also makes an ANT which has wire sensors front and back.

The Roomba (the little round robot vacuum cleaner) may be the basis of the next Scurrying Piece. It has Edge Detection so it won't fall down the stairs - or off a table - and it can move a lot more weight. Of course that'll require a bigger lathe ; ).

Look for a Scurrying Bowl float in this year's Rose Parade!