C'mon guys - I know your investigative skills are better than this!
This ain't it but it's somewhat close...
http://cgi.ebay.com/48-Inflatable-NY...QQcmdZViewItem
And maybe....a 72" ball next year?
http://www.wilderdom.com/store/index...c8bed59cb0d512
************
Ah, here, we're on to something.
Scroll down the page linked below. Oh look, a 40" Omnikin ball...for $159 bucks! Ouch. Maybe FIRST isn't publishing the source because they fear the response when teams find out what these babies cost?
233 take note - they even have a PINK ball.
http://www.schoolmasters.com/cageballs.html
Perhaps the term "Cage" ball or "Omnikin" ball will be a clue to finding the true identity of these mystical spheres....
Here is a replacement bladder for a
40" Omnikin #1014 ball, cost - $45.45:
(Disclaimer - I cannot verify this product is the same product we are using in the 2008 FIRST Overdrive game. This is just FYI only.)
http://www.cannonsports.com/product.php?model=1025
A little more searching and you get....
http://www.omnikin.com/en/home
and
http://www.omnikin.com/osc/product_i...&products_id=4
French Canadian, eh?
On a side note, some of our more zealous Team 48 mentors and students engaged in an impromptu dodge ball session with our trackball after we experimented with it using our 2004 robot. It held up to the abuse. I was surprised at this result, given the horror stories of popping other teams have shared. Makes me wonder what kind of evil dynamics to which these teams are subjecting their poor trackballs.