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Team 1720 has built a large lighted ball for the City of Muncie, for New Year's Eve. The project is partially funded by support from Muncie Sanitary District, with assistance from Advanced Signs & Graphics, and WaterJet Cutting of Indiana. People can celebrate e a family-friendly New Year's Eve Event and Walk of Unity as part of Muncie Downtown Development and LightUpMuncie. See Team 1720's NYE Ball for the community of Muncie (preview here and here). A photo journal of our project follows, from concept to completion. Stories (12/31, 1/2) and video of NYE Celebration here
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September 2007 - Research:
Kokomo's FIRST Team #45
has a NYE Ball project
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Visit to Team 45, Technokats of Kokomo - Ball #1
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Technokats' NYE Ball #2
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Up close look at wiring for TechnoKats' NYE Ball #1
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Location for Ball Drop will be near the new Downtown Circle on Walnut St. |
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Sept 2007: Initial stages of planning and project design |
Student presentations of ideas for Muncie's NYE Ball |
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Triangle design selected; initial calculations for angles
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Oct 2007: Cardboard mockup of initial design |
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Assembly of cardboard model of Muncie's NYE Ball |
Feb 2008: Mayor McShirley visits Team 1720 and poses with team and
1/2 size scale model of NYE ball |
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August 2008: Calculations for angles and NYE ball size |
More Calculation for overall over-all ball dimensions
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August 2008: 900 Christmas string lights will be used, once unstrung....
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September 2008: Robbie, soldering a circuit board for NYE ball |
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Sept 2008: Programmers map out their portion of
making the light show |
Young programmers Andrew and Joel work on the NYE ball light show |
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Sept 28, 2008: Seth and Nathan carry sheet aluminum to cutting
area
at Waterjet Cutting of Indianapolis |
Mike Trapp, owner of Waterjet Cutting of Indiana,
describes the
process
of using sand and water to cut metal and other materials |
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Nearing the end |
End product, 2.5 hours of cutting later: 78 triangles with 1170 holes!! |
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Late Sept 2008: Test wiring for NYE ball |
Oct 2008: Mentor Paul Errington helps as Lior wires up circuits
and Joel works on programming
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Sept 2008: Dakotah works on the jig, which will form the bend
in the triange pieces |
Oct 2008: Triangle sheets fit in jig, and are pressed into shape |
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Early Sept 2008: Lighs out - first test of wiring and soldering on
one piece
(of 60) NYE ball sections |
CAD of overall plan of ball assembly, with pentagon 'shells' shown
(including clamshell opening/dividing segments)
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Oct 28, 2008: A pentagon! Only 11 more to go... |
Nov 4, 2008: Triangles all formed, ready for assembly |
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Nov 4, 2008: Animators create line-up of models - NYE ball and base
(for display of Year)
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Nov 5, 2008: The Lineup: Joann, Eric J, Mike, Max & Ashley work on wiring |
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Custom circuit board - one per triangle; 60 total
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Nov 11, 2008: Taylor and Robbie work on the seemingly
endless stacks of circuit boards |
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Nov 11, 2008: Trent and Lior work on pentagons and wiring |
Nov. 11, 2008: Andrew (Thing 1) and Andrew (Thing 2)
work on (more) soldering |
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Nov 22, 2008: Tower -o- Pentagons! |
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Nov 24, 2008: Base of ball, with placement for 'year' lights |
Nov. 29: Jake updates the light show program for a cool display!
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Nov 29, 2008: Ball 'shell' (pentagons) will attach to central
pole;
master
control circuit boards attach to the blue board;
rocket-like
base
is platform for 'Year' display |
Dec. 3: Maya works with mentor Bryan to round out base for
placement of 'year' panels. Next stop - welding it all together. |
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Dec 6, 2008: Pentagons begin to be assembled! |
Dec. 9, 2008: Two clamshell halves nearly complete!
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Dec. 10: Nesting pentagons? Looking inside most of the ball. |
Dec 11: Dakotah and Maya work on welding a display stand for the ball |
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Dec 11: Maya mapping pentagons and setting jumpers |
Dec 11: Test fit for all pentagons and addition of grommets to base |
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Dec. 11: Near-final assembly: 7-pentagon piece attached to
central shaft; 5 piece segment and 1/2 scale model also visible |
Dec. 13: Robbie and Trent test the 'Year' lights' |
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Dec 13: All hands needed to assemble the 2 halves of the ball.
The ball is nearly complete! |
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Out the door - 2 halves required! |
Dec 17 and 31: TahDah! |
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Downtown Muncie's NYE Celebration (photo by TheStarPress) Video here |
Downtown Muncie's NYE Celebration (photo by TheStarPress)
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