This Man Built an Omnidirectional Motorcycle With Balls for Wheels

England-based YouTuber James Bruton just reinvented the wheel by replacing it with a ball. The former toy designer built a self-balancing motorcycle that’s capable of moving in just about any direction. While it sounds like the answer to a question no one asked, it’s pretty cool.

This is the kind of crazy project you need to start on a blank sheet of paper. Modifying an existing motorcycle wasn’t an option, and putting it all together required a lot of 3D printing. Of course, the wheels aren’t really wheels—they’re big, red balls called walking globes that you see clowns walking on at the circus. They’re rigid, hollow, and can be filled with sand to control their rolling speed (the fuller they get, the slower they go). Bruton then assigned three omni wheels to each ball to give this absurd-looking bike the ability to move sideways, forward, and backward.

The engineering that went into this project is amazing. After designing, 3D-printing, and assembling the drivetrain, Bruton grabbed a bunch of aluminum beams to put together the frame. The five electric motors are powered by six batteries, and there’s an electronics unit with “start” and “emergency stop” buttons, two voltmeters, and a neat LED display that provides the bike’s lean angle.

Bruton was nearly there, but the motorcycle (is this even still considered a motorcycle?) still couldn’t balance itself perfectly. It would be difficult to ride without that feature, and you’d be mashing the “emergency stop” button every couple of feet. After making adjustments to the balancing system, finalizing the wiring, and, last but sure as hell not least, fitting stainless-steel handlebars and a seat, the bike was ready for its first real-world test.

Against a great many odds, it worked! There are a few quirks, as you’d expect. For one, the globes aren’t secured to the frame so the whole bike comes apart if it’s ridden too fast. And, the walking globes get slippery as they pick up dust, so they need to be cleaned from time to time. The first tests were performed indoors, so now we’re wondering what this bike is like to ride on the pavement. Imagine rolling up to a drive-through with it.

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