# Blue Man Group - LED Beach balls?



## DredheadV2 (Dec 8, 2010)

Hey all,

While sitting through LDI's master projection classes, I became obsessed with an item featured in a Blue Man Group video, specifically the internally-lit, battery-powered wirelessly controlled LED beach balls that bounced around the house during the finale.

Are these a stock item anywhere (doubtful) or does someone have a tips on how to assemble them from stock parts?

Thanks
Allen


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## JD (Dec 8, 2010)

Anything goes with those guys! Custom, I am sure, but they (specifically, their designer) has a knack for coming up with very unconventional uses for conventional "off the shelf" products. Just look what they have done with the world of PVC plumbing pipe!


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## derekleffew (Dec 8, 2010)

Lighted Beach Ball | Light Up Beach Ball | LED Beach Balls | Light Up Beach Balls


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## Dsotm75 (Dec 9, 2010)

I am totally putting a couple of these on my Christmas list!


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## ship (Dec 9, 2010)

There is various types of LED balls on the market that are cord fed. Shouldn't be too hard to modify them for rounding over and sealing up, battery and control. Shouldn't be a huge challenge. I didn't do them but don't think such a concept difficult. This much less make such a thing from scratch.

Studied such things recently while looking into some 24" blow up balloon LED color changing gear for a quote. Got samples and bought a few to get in studying both of plastic 24" color changers and LED supplies for the globes. Granted mine were to be rigged and not flying thus I could have a cord. Probably 12 or 24v, but a battery could supply the balls easily with electronics package included. In my case there was a fan supporting the soft sides, in the case of the show, probably a hard or semi-soft side that doesn't need a fan to sustain it's fill.

Challenge for me was beam spread when held from the top in getting beam spread spread across the entire globe.

For a beach ball, such a cluster of free floating power supply/cluster of light would throw off balance and create a dark spot. How did they do it? probably a cluster of LED's in the center of what ever was used, and perhaps filled in some way. After that, the challenge of masking the electronics package and replacable battery package is a challenge. Am I to assume a single color in making it easier?

Could it other wise be incandescent?

Just viewed the video... Interesting but seems like a fan fed ball that don't light up with a one way grommet that the color changing stick gets put thru.

Its seemingly in the stick and given the black spot to it, this in color changing for that dia. gets done. Remove the cord or what ever on the stick - easier to do than the ball in doing so or a true color changing beach ball. This especially with large dark spots on it showing.

Here I was engineering LED color changing microphone stands in figuring out spread coverage for a less dot of light and more spread coverage but not getting too large, plus fighting the fragileness of a 6'-5" microphone stand in length to what plastics were involved in just shipping the weighted base attached to the long stand. All kinds of stuff one can do with plastics and LED's these days. Making them remote/battery is an added challenge but not much of one when one considers making a portable water proof housing for the power supply. Were it possible on todays quote, sure I would go battery. I would suspect that the show is coriegraphed to the timing of the color changing of this remote battery unit that's self color changing. Looks like string/tie line to me hanging out of it. The timing of this show as rehearsed as opposed to the need for DMX live control over would play a huge factor in how remote it can be.

If timed for results, one can go battery for it and coriegraph the use of it. If controlled at the light board, there needs to be a wire or some form of wireless DMX package that would need more black spot in doing so. If DMX, you run a cord that can also power it up. 

Simple enough choice, I would believe this to be battery operated and pre-programmed for color change control of it. Given that, still I think simple enough. Harder than that, appears to be a blown up ball of light. Could there be by use a cord to the fan or another black spot for it?


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## ratthepoodle (Feb 4, 2013)

Here is the rental place for them. I talked to the board op at one of their shows.


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## DuckJordan (Feb 4, 2013)

They actually aren't sealed. its a small battery powered wireless LED, the beach balls are actually custom made filled with helium to provide bounce. They are actually quite heavy unfilled. The LED package is placed inside after inflation. I didn't work directly with the balls but I did watch them get put together.


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## rochem (Feb 4, 2013)

DuckJordan said:


> They actually aren't sealed. its a small battery powered wireless LED, the beach balls are actually custom made filled with helium to provide bounce. They are actually quite heavy unfilled. The LED package is placed inside after inflation. I didn't work directly with the balls but I did watch them get put together.



Just loaded in and worked this show tonight. The highlight of my night was getting to violently toss the balls as far as I could into the house after the show and watching them slowly fall to earth.


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## Tangible (Mar 11, 2013)

Hi

I am from Tangible Interaction the group behind the Blue Man Balls. We call them Zygote Interactive Balls.
These balls were conceived years before Blue Man started using them but we are very happy that they use them today for pretty much all their shows. 
The Zygotes are helium filled and weigh about 10 pounds when not inflated. 
There are more videos on our website tangibleinteraction.com
The balls can be both interactive and remote controlled via DMX. Blue Man chooses to remote control them.
It took a lot of work to make these balls, it has been a labour of love. So I am glad people are enjoying them

Alex Beim
Tangible Interaction


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## gafftaper (Mar 11, 2013)

Welcome to The Booth Tangible! You've made one very cool product there. But now that we've met you, don't be a stranger! You'll be amazed what you can learn around here.


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## Tangible (Mar 11, 2013)

Thank you
I bumped into the site by chance
Now I am looking through the posts
Interesting stuff

Alex


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## derekleffew (Mar 11, 2013)

I can't remember, have we discussed Disneyland's World of Color Mickey Ears and/or Xylobands here yet? This thread seems as good a place as any.


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