Ball-and-Bearing Motion Sensor Assembly, San Francisco State College (Updated last month)

You can view this bundle in the SFSU Over the Years collection area.

A ball-and-bearing motion sensor assembly is mounted within a transparent housing, with a spherical component positioned below the frame. The setup appears designed to illustrate principles of motion, orientation, or inertial behavior, likely as part of experimental work in control systems or mechanics.

Tags: historic technology

Added to SFSU Over the Years on July 31, 2026.

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Information

  • Identifier: TP-ATA-1880
  • Context: <p><strong data-start="305" data-end="333">The Ball Support System:</strong></p> <ul data-start="334" data-end="590"> <li data-start="334" data-end="485"> <p data-start="336" data-end="485">You can clearly see a <strong data-start="362" data-end="397">spherical mount or cup assembly</strong> below the ball, allowing <strong data-start="423" data-end="443">free 3D rotation</strong> while keeping the ball loosely suspended.</p> </li> <li data-start="486" data-end="590"> <p data-start="488" data-end="590">The lower support likely allows <strong data-start="520" data-end="551">friction-minimized movement</strong>&mdash;key for demonstrating inertial motion.</p> </li> </ul> <p><strong data-start="600" data-end="634">Rotational Sensing Components:</strong></p> <ul data-start="635" data-end="947"> <li data-start="635" data-end="821"> <p data-start="637" data-end="729">Those Small mounts with what look like <strong data-start="681" data-end="715">bearing tips or encoder wheels</strong> likely track:</p> <ul data-start="732" data-end="821"> <li data-start="732" data-end="763"> <p data-start="734" data-end="763"><strong data-start="734" data-end="754">Yaw, pitch, roll</strong> movement</p> </li> <li data-start="766" data-end="821"> <p data-start="768" data-end="821">Or possibly lateral force or displacement on the ball</p> </li> </ul> </li> <li data-start="822" data-end="947"> <p data-start="824" data-end="947">This arrangement would convert physical motion into analog or early digital signals via potentiometers or magnetic pickups.</p> </li> </ul> <p><strong data-start="957" data-end="974">Signal Wires:</strong></p> <ul data-start="975" data-end="1178"> <li data-start="975" data-end="1094"> <p data-start="977" data-end="1094">The <strong data-start="1000" data-end="1024">bundle of lead wires</strong> confirms the ball's movement was <strong data-start="1058" data-end="1072">measurable</strong>, not just mechanical.</p> </li> <li data-start="1095" data-end="1178"> <p data-start="1097" data-end="1178">These probably feed to a meter, oscilloscope, or control panel for live feedback.</p> </li> </ul> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Credits:</strong>&nbsp;</p> <p>Some technical descriptions and historical interpretations were developed with the assistance of ChatGPT, an AI language model by OpenAI.</p>
  • Geographic Coverage: San Francisco, CA
  • Type: Still Image
  • Format: Negative
  • Source: San Francisco State University Archives
  • Rights: Public

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