Pandemonium - K'nex Ball Machine

This ball machine contains approximately 50,000 pieces and took just over a year to build. It has 5 motors, 4 lifts, and 18 unique paths across 2 networks.

This machine presented a unique challenge, as it was built in the living room of an apartment I shared with two other people. The room had to remain fully usable and accessible, with no restricted access to furniture, doors. It also needed enough ceiling clearance to be used as a VR space, which is part of what lead to the large hollow ring in the center.

These design constraints made this my most low-profile ball machine to date, with nearly all the machine and supporting structure staying within 6 inches of the walls.

The entire structure is self-supporting, resting only on the floor of the room. The beams which carry the weight of the false ceiling are pre-stressed using a tension cable made of gray rods and white snowflake connectors, which allows them to carry a much higher load.

Apart from electrical wires and controls for the motors and LED lighting, there were no non-K'nex pieces used in this project.

This is the first K'nex ball machine I have completed in my own home since 2012, but those who have been following my channel for a long time may recognize the name "Pandemonium" from a cancelled ball machine project from 2013-2014. The main visual element from the cancelled project - the large false-ceiling featuring an LED-illuminated ring - was carried over and made the centerpiece of this project, so I decided to resurrect its would-be name as well.


The music is "Yin and the Yang" by John 00 Fleming