UPSB v3
Pen Modifications / ComboSense update
pod hacks, batterys, and LED ideas
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Date: Sun, Apr 18 2010 23:18:35
Hi,
Here are some updates on progress of the ComboSense idea of spin-sensing pen inserts. I appreciate the people that tried this and provided great feedback, unfortunately almost everyone had problems! Some of the problems included boards or wires breaking, or finding it difficult to fit the battery into a given mod, or balance pens. Also most people would prefer the LEDs to be at the tips of the visual "disc" when spinning a combo, rather than in the body of the pen. Or at least further out, or the flexibility to put the light wherever they want rather than a fixed circuit board.
To try to solve most of these problems, I hacked some old micro stubbys to make "combo pods". They go into the tips of your mod and should balance perfectly if you've got two (or just use one? I dont really like the look of a single-lighted LED mod when its spinning, unless the light fills the whole barrel) A smaller battery design helps reduce total system weight to 1.5 g
and should spin better having the mass concentrated at the tips than along the middle.
Supertips body example layout.
System and pod weight.
Some other critical feedback was that it's too difficult to fit the battery into pens. There's no room for big connectors. Also some of the people that tried it found the wires broke too easily from modding stress. To fix this I found some tiny board-mount connectors that reduce size and weight significantly from the current design. they have a "snap" fit and a low cross-section to thread through barrels or whatever.
These pictures just represent the prototypes that I'll be sending out for more feedback, I have a new design on file that is half the size of these pods, and hope to get it fab'd soon as I can
The design actually reduces part count , and is easier to produce, so it should hopefully be cheap enough that more people can try them and advance the design. I'm also working with someone to record dual-accelerometer data and try to "recognize" combos, but we're not sure what to do with that data yet , ideas are appreciated.
I hope to get a video together soon of some new spins, I've been practicing!!
What is going to be interesting is seeing how it spins, the pods operate independently so the tips might be spinning at different rates for example if you did lots of wiper-type moves like infinities, the far-swinging tip would be racking up higher spinning scores than the near tip, possibly transitioning, this could be annoying or maybe really cool, it'll be interesting to see. -
Date: Mon, Apr 19 2010 02:30:46
nice how much was the first one u made
like weight wise? -
Date: Mon, Apr 19 2010 03:41:02
Its basically cutting the board in half so saves about a half gram. The actual pod (not battery) is less than half a gram and will probably go down to .3 g next version, I dont think i can lose much more weight in the battery pack but you could power two pods with one pack to keep overall pen weight down. sorry I didn't answer your question, last version was around 1.3g -down to .9g
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Date: Wed, Apr 21 2010 01:05:47
omfg this is so cool
where do u get this background?
do you major in something related to this??? -
Date: Wed, Apr 21 2010 15:48:48
I did major at Washington State with a degree in electrical engineering but didn't really learn this stuff until I worked for Boeing for four years... then I got laid off... now I am hella broke and looking for new jobs if you know anyone that needs an EE! I'm better with circuits than with penspinning!
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Date: Wed, Apr 21 2010 22:35:56QUOTE (fletch @ Apr 21 2010, 12:48 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>I did major at Washington State with a degree in electrical engineering but didn't really learn this stuff until I worked for Boeing for four years... then I got laid off... now I am hella broke and looking for new jobs if you know anyone that needs an EE! I'm better with circuits than with penspinning!
errrrrrrr so how old r u =P -
Date: Wed, Apr 21 2010 22:43:03
how thick is this?
fits in comssas, right? -
Date: Wed, Apr 21 2010 22:45:37QUOTE (Calcuminion #2 @ Apr 21 2010, 07:43 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>how thick is this?
fits in comssas, right?
it looks quite thin its skinnier than the thickest part of an hgg tip =] -
Date: Thu, Apr 22 2010 04:36:41
Its about 4.3 mm wide but you could sand it down to under 4 if you had to... I think the next version will be 4mm wide at the connector and get skinnier at the LEDs to make it easier to get through caps or grips.
edit:
I made a new supertips mod for the ComboSense after one of the people that tried the old supertips board had some problems with breaking. I'm sending this new type out and if it is successful , will mothball the old supertips CS boards.
This mod is just like a buster CYL but instead of a backplug it uses two airfit barrels and some airfit grip.
Here is a couple pictures of the parts and how it goes together.
The clear translucent parts is lined up with the LED's output for a better visual effect than having to glow through a solid barrel. Also this way you could use a black body and tips and have the same brightness. Black and red might look cool.
When fully lit, the airfit grip produces a nice soft glow. One of these caps in this pic is translucent to show battery hookup (imagine a spare battery identically positioned in the opposite cap for balance)
Also, the transitions are a bit easier to see in this version .
Im also thinking about making some single-stage versions that simply light up one color when it detects spin. This should save power and be less of a game or challenge but just an easy LED mod. -
Date: Thu, May 13 2010 22:37:37
can we buy these?
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Date: Fri, May 14 2010 20:59:16
Hi,
I dont really want to advertise since this is more just a thread about interesting modification ideas, but I am selling them through a website (i think theres a link in my profile page)
I may have a good chance at landing a job soon (just did an interview) and one of the requirements is a non-competition clause meaning I'd have to close up shop w/r/t selling electronic inventions, however in the future I could keep developing them and possibly release them through a different company. But I'm low on money anyways to work on advancing the design, I think I should get a job, save up and learn some more, and come back to it! -
Date: Sat, May 15 2010 23:26:11
thanks and do you know if the other led mods that people use on youtube or yours or someone elses?
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Date: Sun, May 16 2010 00:36:05
well I dont really know which video you mean, but there is a ton of LED mods already out there , some of the notable good ones on youtube are Kam's blue-lit one and a guy named ... Pari I think? Had a really nice bright LED mod that even cast spotlights around as he spun, pretty cool... there's also clips of ghetto fabulous LED mods where a kid will like, tape a LED keychain to a barrel and wave it at a webcam... those are sweet
I dont really have any good clips of the combosense spinning yet, I kinda suck at PS and the designs need to be updated so I can send out some new versions to good spinners, maybe get a decent youtube up. I was also thinking of changing the program to make it brighter on video (it shows up great spinning indoors but kinda hard to see on video through a barrel)