pic: Atlas Supporting the Earth

[mfin]

Originally Posted by Leav

I couldn't hold that pose for more than 7 seconds before it slipped on me!

it isnt that hard i held it for at least 30 until a teammate kicked me over

[Richard Wallace]

Cool shot! Someone on my team got a similar picture today during our work session, and made a comment about shrugging just before the ball fell.

For a photo break, we went outside for a while. Cloudy and about 70 degrees here in St. Louis, with south winds at about 20 MPH. We found that our trackball can be shoved through a standard 3 ft. doorway when inflated to 128" circumference. However, when a gust of wind came along, it suddenly developed a lot of lift and one of our mentors had to yell for help to keep it from being ripped from his grasp.

Manipulating these gamepieces will be a challenge.

[Daniel_LaFleur]

Originally Posted by Richard

Manipulating these gamepieces will be a challenge.

I think this is the understatement of the year.

[DonRotolo]

Indeed. 40" diameter was a shock to us, so we posted the photo (and, it seems, so did several others) so teams would get an idea of that dimension.

It's also somewhat heavy (I guess 7-10 pounds, some have weighed theirs in at about 8 pounds) and the outer covering is a bit slippery (but not a lot). The problem with a human holding it is that you really can't wrap your arms around it, so at best you're grip is less than 180 degrees apart. It definitely can get away from you easily.

We also did some experiments launching it to about 8 feet in the air, from about ground level. That takes quite a bit of push. This means that a catapult is feasible, but it'll have to be substantial - no latex tubing or air cylinders here.

Don

[JaneYoung]

Originally Posted by Don Rotolo

The problem with a human holding it is that you really can't wrap your arms around it, so at best you're grip is less than 180 degrees apart. It definitely can get away from you easily.

It was a great treat watching Al Skierkiewicz lift the ball and put it back in position - with a little help from his wife - at the FIRST Kick Off. It was also fun to see how high the balls could bounce when pushed off. Also, I rolled one into another one and was reminded of the game of pool. The corner pocket would have to be massive though.