iSerendipity » mechanics

Mechanics: Putting it All Together

Michelle — Mon, 23 Mar 2009 12:48:34 +0000

Now that we have the mechanical pod moving along the track, we need to figure out the LED lights. Firstly, each pod will be able to light up when it senses pressure. This can be controlled by a switch hooked up to a wireless battery and LED.

Next, in order to convey the idea of pods changing colour according to activity clusters, we first considered each pod carrying 3 LEDs of different colours and activating each one depending on its location on the track. The implementation details started becoming too complicated, especially if the pod needs programmable lights, meaning that the moving elements require wires connected to the BasicStamp board.

Thus, we decided on a simpler solution in which the coloured lights for each section would be statically placed on different locations on the actual track that will switch on whenever it senses a pod travelling over that section.

Colour-changes on each individual pod would have required a more complex pod construction of a non-rotating bottom layer to hit a specific switch location and use a bearing on the top to allow for pod rotation above the track.

Our circuitry diagrams:

Mechanical Prototype

Lin — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 03:44:44 +0000

Towards Mechanical Prototyping

Lin — Mon, 16 Mar 2009 05:08:58 +0000

The mechanism below describes a rotating bottom disk, while a top disk stays static. Our pods will be moving along a track guided by two pins, one of which follows the circular track on the top disk, and the second pin follows the slot on the bottom disk for back and forth movement.

We currently have a cardboard prototype of these elements but are trying to piece together the pieces so that the centrepiece of the top layer will be held up and kept still while the bottom disk rotates.

Lin’s Jellyfish Prototype

Lin — Wed, 25 Feb 2009 17:16:02 +0000

My inspiration form was the jellyfish-like motion. I try to use two fish lines to control the movement of jellyfish. By dragging one fish line to control the turning joints, the jellyfish’s feet would move up and down. At the same time, there is another fish line to carry the whole body. The design of the white shell is to mimic the jellyfish form while hiding the internal construction of the mechanism.

Ting’s Dancing Wind Sculpture

Ting — Wed, 25 Feb 2009 12:38:34 +0000

The original inspiration was the movement created from a tornado, but as the project progressed, I found more aesthetic beauty within the simplicity of two single strands of wind moving entwined together. The mechanism employs two different directional movement, including a parabola direction and another back/forth. Thus, the flexible material of the strands together with the motion of the mechanics create a modern reiteration of dancing in the breeze.

Michelle’s Breathing Pine Cone

Michelle — Wed, 25 Feb 2009 11:45:56 +0000

Choosing to study the motion of opening and closing in biological systems, I found the pine cone a fascinating structure. In cold, wet conditions it forms a tight, closed geometry, yet in dry heat it opens and expands its scales – the movement between these two extremes are slow and subtle.

In constructing my kinetic structure, I encountered difficulty in making the mechanism work to fully extend and contract the scales due to the shape of the pivoting arms. The created motion resembles a soft breathing movement instead.