Forums > Technical Discussion > Hyperlights update...

I've been busy designing recently and I'm happy to report I've made some serious progress! I've very nearly got the final prototype board fleshed out and a design I reckon ought to work very well for the casing.


Non-Https Image Link

Non-Https Image Link


I'll send off for the first set of prototype boards some time next week (still needs some tweaking and double-checking). I need to investigate a few more companies to find someone to make my polycarbonate balls. Just need to get the software up to scratch now. As it stands you'd need to have some special hardware to add new light sequences etc. into them... once I've got my head around a few things, you'll just be able to plug your hyperlights into a USB socket, fire up your software and tell them what you want!

Watch this space

Cake or Death?

I don't think the new housings will be ready in time, but I should have the new prototype hardware (the circuits) by then... the PCBs should arrive here in a day or two so then it's just a question of whether

a) I can get hold of all the components I need in time
b) Populate the boards in time
c) They actually work first go! (yeah right )

I'm hoping they'll be nearly indestructable so you shouldn't need to worry too much about bashing them about.

I still have a couple of neat tricks that I've not revealed about them, but I'm saving those for when the final versions are ready for people to buy

Cake or Death?

Cake or Death?

Did yo mean to write playfestival.co.uk? I'm sure thats what geeza was talking about

There's too many home fires burning and not enough trees

Cake or Death?

Proudly Owned By The BMVC

Are You Sniffing My Mitten?

The plugs?

That's a strange fetish you have there.

But there's no sense crying over every mistake. You just keep on trying till you run out of cake.

At the risk of getting this thread back on topic... Ouch, I just spent ~�200 on the bits to make 2 pairs of the mark 3 prototypes!!! It's so expensive when you do small orders... that and forgetting to add the processors for the things so you end up paying twice as much postage



...still, it should all be here in a couple of days which means there's actually a chance I'll have two new pairs of hyperlights ready for PLAY

Cake or Death?

Glad you enjoyed them nick... hopefully the things I have for play will be a bit more robust than the last lot of prototypes (time will tell!).

I just realised that it takes ~9 days for stuff to get from HoP to my house so I may have to re-think my idea of canabulising the LED poi I bought. Anyone got any suggestions for (preferably clear) ~6cm balls into which I can squeeze the new prototypes? The really need to be dismantleable as well so that batteries can be changed and new programs added to them... oh, and they need to be ready for PLAY

Cake or Death?

Jo gave me some boing balls for christmas...I've not really used them as one of them broke but I could send you them for you to use (I'd want them back, in a working order, but they just screw apart)

http://www.loadsmorestuff.com/popup_image.php?pID=971

There's too many home fires burning and not enough trees

Never mind, i returned home to find a package waiting on my bed ...now I just need the boards to arrive and the components to populate them!

Thanks for the offer though

Cake or Death?

"Don�t know how long, this one�s gonna take;
I could fail, but I�d rather be a fuckup, than a fake"

 Written by: TheBovrilMonkey


The plugs?

That's a strange fetish you have there.





but but...they're just so sexy!! 3 things going into 3 holes!! its like pron but better!

Proudly Owned By The BMVC

Are You Sniffing My Mitten?

as much as I liked the look of mr hyperlights poi...

Hyperlight... any chance you'll develop your idea into staff form as my poi... well.... sucks and they are pretty.

otherwise i will think take a basic electronic and machining course to see if i can make one

A couple of balls short of a full cascade... or maybe a few cards short of a deck... we'll see how this all fans out.

Thanks for the rant UCOF... I've had more offers to help test hyperlights than I can count (even using fingers and toes!) ...and I'm grateful for every one of them! I still like people asking - it's good to know people are still interested



I've just had a load of deliveries of components and should have the new boards by the end of today. So it's looking like I might actually have some new stuff to show off at PLAY! If that pans out, I'll be handing them to as many people as I can for another round of feedback. I'll then put the suggestions I agree with into the next prototype (probably the last one!)... and get ~10 pairs of hyperlights built. I have a list I've been cultivating of people I'd like to sell those first 10 to (at cost price in return for some feedback on what they like / dislike about them etc). Once we've ironed out any initial problems I'll be ina position where I can seriously consider selling HyperLights to the masses



As for staffs, I already have some designs for a HyperStaff in the pipeline. I'm also thinking about making HyperDiablo, HyperDevilsticks and HyperHoops

Cake or Death?

Lol, you're already on my 'list of people to supply one of the first round of public prototypes to' (a bit of a long-winded name I know, but I think it says it all ).... so don't be greedy

I just got a very exciting parcel delivered - four mark 3 prototype boards!!! There's going to be some furious soldering efforts over the next day or two

Cake or Death?

Cake or Death?

 Written by: Seye

You'd have no competition with devilsticks as even the Aerotechs are not perfect.


That's assuming I get it right of course!

As for volunteers, I've been thinking a bit about this recently. I've got ~5 people who I've already decided I'm getting a pair to because either; They're helped me massively in getting to where I am now, or I think they're really inspirational spinners and would really love to see them spinning my toys.

I'm planning on building 10 sets of the next versions which leaves 5 to distribute. So I'm thinking either I'll have a competition or a vote or something with nominations for who should have a pair (could lead to a bit of a popularity contest though )... or maybe give a pair to a few big juggling clubs so lots of people get to play with them. I'd be interested to hear what people think about how I should choose who to give 'em out to

Cake or Death?

 Written by: geeza

sounds quite good. id just get some rechargable ones like uniross or something. Try and make them as light as possible, i dont fancy a 200gram weight hitting my spuds! 60 or 70 grams would be perfect (ie tennis ball weight)


They will definitely be less than 200g... I've started to think they might actually end up being too light! I've made provisions so that more weight can be added easily though

Cake or Death?