Powerball is a new, addictive, multi-facetted device that is spreading across the world and it may just end up rivalling the Rubik cube! It’s a handheld device that can be used in a fitness, sports, rehabilitation or fun manner. It can be used by anyone from young children to old aged pensioners due to it’s dynamic, non-impact nature. This article will explore what Powerball is and how it does it magic.
Powerball is a handheld gyroscope device that is roughly the same size as a Baseball or Tennis Ball, being 7cm in diameter and weighing about 0.26 kg. The “ball” consists of a plastic outer casing, often with a rubber grip around the centre. Inside there is a finely engineered and precision crafted gyro with a rotor that spins rapidly once the device has been started either by a rip cord or electronic starter. This all sounds very high tech, but it is a very clever piece of applied science using the theory behind gyroscopes and the principle of precession.
The basic theory centres around how gyroscopes act on the environment around them. Once a gyroscope has started, then it asserts a centrifugal force and inertia on objects in contact with it. When the gyro is spinning, a tipping action will cause it to precess and move in a circular fashion. The inside of the device is grooved near the axle, so with an externally applied force, the axle will push against the rim. The gyroscope will respond with a rolling action and the speed of the rotation will increase. You use your wrist in a circular motion to generate the force to continually increase the speed, which in turn acts with a greater resistive force against your body.
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