IAT 337: Representation and Fabrication Final Project from Kurtis So on Vimeo.
Wednesday 17 August 2011
Monday 1 August 2011
The Grand Solution
Flip it upside down!!!
A Very Important Development!
Through the first half of the process of working on our current idea, we had a frustrating and nagging problem. The arms' resting position was not straight, as we desired, but curled to one side due to gravity. The motor struggled to smoothly provide a full range of movement, as the arm required more force by the motor as it neared full extension/straightening, but less as the arm fell down to one side due to gravity.
Through testing, we found that by simply flipping it upside down, the gear mechanism provides opportunity for both speed and range with gravity helping instead of hindering. This is because the desired state when upside down is where the arm is straightened out whereas with the regular upright alignment the arm is at rest when curled in a spiral, due to gravity. This solves the mechanics and programming issues for the most part.
In terms of form, the strings are beautiful left dangling naturally from the arms, like hair flowing. This adds another layer of depth, in that greater range in motion affects the string differently than greater speed, allowing for further control of mapping. When the mechanism is upside down, it also solves the issue of string tension, as gravity keeps the hanging strings tight enough... now imagine with fiber optic wire flowing from leds in the "base" structure outward!!!
If suspended from the ceiling it could assume the archetype of a chandelier as a sculpture.
:)
A Very Important Development!
Through the first half of the process of working on our current idea, we had a frustrating and nagging problem. The arms' resting position was not straight, as we desired, but curled to one side due to gravity. The motor struggled to smoothly provide a full range of movement, as the arm required more force by the motor as it neared full extension/straightening, but less as the arm fell down to one side due to gravity.
Through testing, we found that by simply flipping it upside down, the gear mechanism provides opportunity for both speed and range with gravity helping instead of hindering. This is because the desired state when upside down is where the arm is straightened out whereas with the regular upright alignment the arm is at rest when curled in a spiral, due to gravity. This solves the mechanics and programming issues for the most part.
If suspended from the ceiling it could assume the archetype of a chandelier as a sculpture.
:)
Sunday 31 July 2011
Friday 29 July 2011
About the Team
About the Project
This kinetic sculpture is the final project for the summer 2011 term of IAT 337: Representation and Fabrication taught by Halil Erhan and T.A.'d by Naghmi Shireen.
For this project we are required to develop a product platform for a line of kinetic sculptures that inform users of their energy consumption and therefore allow for more sustainable living in the home environment. The sculpture is to be a ‘peripheral interface’ that acts as an aesthetically pleasing art object while also subtly informing the user. This is opposed to the complex data charts, tables, and diagrams that can be difficult to understand by the layman. The project concerns itself with how art and technology interplay in influencing our daily resource use, knowledge, and culture.
When designing our kinetic sculpture we decided to inform the user of their energy consumption through the imagery of harmony versus chaos.As a group, we agreed that an overall consistency in low (and therefore ideal) consumption, rather than striving for individual days of low consumption, is a major part of living sustainably. Within this context, harmony represents a balance of the user's overall energy use, while chaos represents an overall unbalanced use of energy.
In terms of the physical form of the sculpture, we attributed an organic, almost bacterial aesthetic to the arms that comprise the majority of the piece. This imparts a mildly parasitic tone to the sculpture as it hangs, arm dangling, from the ceiling of the user's home. Though the rounded pattern is aesthetically pleasing to the eye, the organic form coupled with its autonomous and intelligent (ie. responsive) movement creates an almost grotesque sculpture. When the user has 'ideal' - in our terms, consistently low - consumption levels, the sculpture peacefully swings its arms. The 'tentacles,' or arms, seem to wiggle happily. When the user deviates from these ideal levels of consumption, the sculpture reacts accordingly by displaying dramatic and obvious movement in an effort to catch the user's attention. The piece therefore relates to harmony and chaos within an organic context.
In terms of the physical form of the sculpture, we attributed an organic, almost bacterial aesthetic to the arms that comprise the majority of the piece. This imparts a mildly parasitic tone to the sculpture as it hangs, arm dangling, from the ceiling of the user's home. Though the rounded pattern is aesthetically pleasing to the eye, the organic form coupled with its autonomous and intelligent (ie. responsive) movement creates an almost grotesque sculpture. When the user has 'ideal' - in our terms, consistently low - consumption levels, the sculpture peacefully swings its arms. The 'tentacles,' or arms, seem to wiggle happily. When the user deviates from these ideal levels of consumption, the sculpture reacts accordingly by displaying dramatic and obvious movement in an effort to catch the user's attention. The piece therefore relates to harmony and chaos within an organic context.
Thursday 28 July 2011
the mechanism
In order to convey our ideas, we looked to this kinetic sculpture by '3376aa' and built upon the mechanism he used.
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