Student:
Lauralee Williams (MLA I AP 2021)
Course:
Undergraduate work, 2017
Project:
Vortex was designed and motorized using a combination of Rhinoceros 5, Grasshopper, Firefly and Arduino UNO boards. The rigidity, translucency of acrylic Plexi-glass proved to be the most effective option to hold fabric in tension within a frame. It also allowed us to laser cut holes for fittings, and custom-make rotating plates and gears of various thicknesses.
As the prototype progressed, the use of the acrylic sheet allowed us opportunities to experiment with adding other shading elements such as elastic string, perforations in the frame, and tint, to add layers within the module that might affect the turning motion, and also filter light differently.
The final model was made fully functional with a motion-sensing micro-controller, and turns on the custom built acrylic sheet gears. It successfully responds to motion as a hand or object is inserted.
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Model Types: modular, responsive
Lab Areas: cnc, laser cutter
Material Processes: drilling, stretching
Primary Materials: textile, acrylic (PMMA)
Assembling Materials: screws, plastruct bondene, solvent cement
Other Materials: string, elastic, microcontrollers
Material Scale: 1:2
Mention the author(s) on the FabLab Forum using the following usernames: @lwilliams