Descriptions :
Type 1
• 3 pieces; one cylinder 18mm, two connecters one each side, two cylinders 12mm.
• 36 mm width.
• 30.6 mm height.
• 12 mm movement range.
Type 2
• 3 pieces; one cylinder 18mm, one connector one slot, two cylinders one with connector one with slot 12mm.
• 40 mm width.
• 30.6 mm height.
• 16 mm movement range.

Presentation (PDF)

Sliding Structure

The starting point was the choice of the power that puts the model in motion – this power is gravity. The model slides down a rope and the mechanism converts the energy of sliding to rotate the joints. That’s why we needed to 3d print not only joints, but also the gears. Furthermore we needed to laser cut other details, to make the process more profitable. The joints were produced in the way that the model can rotate infinitely.

Printed details:

Upper joints: 6
Lower joints: 6
45 degrees inclinated gears: 2
13 degrees inclinated gears: 6

Team : Hunia tarck tomoum,Yaping chen & Jayanthimala Thangarajan Gokulraj kailash

Aim   :  To design joints for 6mm dia rods to create flexible structures.

Joint 1 –

Two similar boomerang shaped element interlocked within a slit in them forms the first joint. The two elements are free to rotate within the limited axis. Each arm of both the elements can accommodate one 6mm Dia rod. The outcomes of these joints in more number of combinations are unpredictable.

Joint 2 –The second joint is made up of two elements which are unified by a ball and socket joint . out of the 3 arms of the joint , one arm is designned to rotate along its own axis and this is facilitated by the ball and socket joint.

Working of the joints –

Joint 1 -
Joint 2 -

Final assembly of the joints –

How to make a joint for a movable structure?

The design of the articulation started having as a case study the above working model.The joints were designed in order to serve specific movements which will provide the required mobility in the construction.
In order to have full movement, the construction require 12 articulation.
The essential function of almost all the joints is the rotation round an axis. This axis, and the union, are connected to the basic unit on which we can find connected maximum three related extensions.
However it could not be given the necessary mobility in construction if had not designed a central articulation. It’s basic function is to retain the overall grid. In this case the metal bar did not articulate but glide through the joint.

We devised a joint that allowed us to take the Calder system a bit further. Our new joint is able to hold as many as 18 rods at the same time.  It rotates elliptically and vertically, allowing the structure to “find” its own balance according to where the rods are placed and where you apply force of movement.

The concept behind this investigation was to design a joint that was capable of a number of different motions; rolling, rotation, and expanding. These motions are further articulated when these individual units are connected to create a linear system. Each unit has a rotation limit of 355 degrees, which creates an interesting spiral effect once the system is fully expanded. As the units begin to rotate out, they consequentially expand in length by only 3 millimeters before the unit reaches its maximum expansion limit.

The joints are printed as a connected system and vary in terms of certain parameters. The differences in the arm widths allow for the connection between the joints have varying articulations. As the width of the openings get thicker, the joining of the two units becomes less visible, and at a certain point, becomes flush with the arm. As the width of the opening gets thinner, the connection between the two units becomes more visible and more flexible in terms of disassembly. The second parameter is the variation within the arm length, which creates a secondary visual motion through the implied undulating edges.

Conceptual Development:

The Fibonacci sequence formed the basis of the design. The ratio was maintained while trying to achieve a harmonious form.

Project Concept:

The idea was to create a geometrical pattern which can change and be perceived as a different volume from different angles. Leonardo da Vinci drawings were our inspiration. The object consists of 50 mm cubes and in each row the cube touches the adjacent cube in its corner (intersection point) and they have one parallel continuous diagonal line for the whole row. The rest of the rows are the same but it is shifted half the diagonal length to one side to intersect the cubes corners with the previous row intersection points.

Project Concept:

Motion was the main theme in the printed object, and aim to create a dynamic representation of the space. The idea was inspired from the mechanical (reciprocating) engines and the sequential movement between engine parts (cylinders and rods). The object consists of five joints, two different types, and ten steel rods. Moving one of the rods will cause the middle cylinder to rotate and to move the whole system.