Remote Controlled Bowling Ball using Gyroscopes

[Paradise_Bowler]

TL;DR

I am making an RC Bowling Ball and need help getting pointed in the right direction with this project. Please help!

Ayyyyo! Science nerd here stopping by to check out what's going on in the physics realm and answer some questions I need answers for that will really help with my project. The project is easy to explain, I want to create a remote controlled bowling ball! To achieve this I was thinking of installing a battery powered gyro in a bowling ball synced to a wireless controller that can activate the gyro altering the bowling ball's path left or right. (for example, there is that mechanical gyro type that most people think of when they hear 'gyroscope', then the Powerball gyro type, and finally the gyro type with the 2 or 3 balls that spin around an axis).

The question right now is, what is the best type of gyro that can be installed in the core of the bowling ball that will almost instantly change the bowling ball's rolling path the most? Also, what other devices may be better than a gyro for this job? Finally, how should I go about installing the device making sure it is as stable as possible and won't break or fall apart after hitting the bowling pins?

If using a gyro how could I get the gyro to spin independently to the bowling ball? Besides the best, what could be the easiest and cheapest device/method? Thanks in advance, I'm really looking forward to what y'all physics geniuses think about this project.

 

[.Scott]

If all you want to do it to "cheat" by making last minute adjustments to the balls trajectory, then a gyroscope system might be good.

But if you're looking for more control, I don't think a gyro is quite what you want. I would make a small, heavy RC vehicle and put it into a bowling bowl shape/size shell - with the shell being about a centimeter thick and made of bowling ball or bowling-ball like material. Then as the RC vehicle moves along the inside of the shell, it will power the bowling ball in the same direction of its movement.

Think Hamster Ball.

 

[Baluncore]

Maybe reaction wheels are one way to control the ball.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reaction_wheel

 

[Paradise_Bowler]

If all you want to do it to "cheat" by making last minute adjustments to the balls trajectory, then a gyroscope system might be good.

But if you're looking for more control, I don't think a gyro is quite what you want. I would make a small, heavy RC vehicle and put it into a bowling bowl shape/size shell - with the shell being about a centimeter thick and made of bowling ball or bowling-ball like material. Then as the RC vehicle moves along the inside of the shell, it will power the bowling ball in the same direction of its movement.

Think Hamster Ball.

Not trying to "cheat" anything but yeah, same basic effect of being able to grab it, throw it, and pull out a remote to make it change direction at the last second or a way to enhance the curve but still totally look like a normal bowling ball. That's just not possible with the wheel idea but I appreciate the idea none the less.

Back to the gyro idea though, anyone know a specific model or type that would work for my project?

 

[Baluncore]

If the ball contained a mass that could be shifted left or right, the curve could be controlled. If that mass was a heavy spinning wheel, then acceleration or deceleration (braking) of the wheel could also change the ball speed.

 

[BillTre]

There little random moving balls sold as toys if various kinds (for kids, pets).
They work by having a small hollow low mass ball that contains a weight and a motor that moves the weight around to skew the ball's center of mass. They work pretty well, but are randomish.
This would be difficult for a bowling ball with its normal large mass.
Here are some search results: https://www.amazon.com/moving-ball/s?k=moving+ball&tag=pfamazon01-20