FORM TO MANUFACTURE: ACTIONS OF TRANSLATION AND TRANSGRESSION
There are many ways a project can be approached. Through process, material, systems, technology, theory, information, tooling, aesthetics and hybrids of all form. Design can be a leading research consideration, or play a supporting role for research questions driven towards other areas.
Brief key points:
Each Vessel or Vehicle must be capable of safely transporting two passengers.
Each Vessel or Vehicle, and all their constituent parts, must be fabricated from stock material.
Treat this as less of a speed race, more of a promenade of the weird and wonderful.
The project is inspired by the concept of collaborative movement between two people- such as rowing boat collaboration or a collaboration between a couple.
“A journey is like marriage. The certain way to be wrong is to think you control it.”
John Steinbeck
Investigations into a split drive-train that could represent the passenger’s harmony was the starting point. By splitting vehicle’s power into two, the movement of the vehicle through physical space is represntative of the journey the passengers take together.
The following project will present a wide range of skills and tools explored while making and designing.
First Stage: Sketching Laser cutting Drilling
Second Stage: 3D Modelling 3D Printing
Third Stage: Workshop skills – Pipes cutting Drilling through solid metals Bending pipes Cutting pipes manually with a hand-saw Tik welding a round shape
Further Skills:
How to use the 3D Models from Rhino as a source of information not only as a visual representation of the concept.
Preparing templates and jigs to help us with precision.
OLOID – THE SHAPE AND THE LIMITATIONS
Primary investigation into rolling surfaces that only translate movement when working together were first undertaken.
Through researching and experimenting with preimitive geometries, the oloid was found to give a rhytmic snaking motion we wished to explore.
We started to play with the geometry by merely changing the length of the connection points (01). Looking at the rolling form of these studies were undertaken to determine the end nodes that could be excited and what parts of the object made contact during travel.
Considering our findings on how the shape is moving and which points are touching the ground, we moved it further by 3D Printing the form (02) ( using less material as possible -so we printed a frame shape, that will not harm the movement.)
Merging the oloid with the mechanics of the exciting sphere (03;04)concept offers the potential for creating a collaborative mechanism where the chassis can remain level. This also means the vehicle cannot move without both passengers synchronising.
USING THE 3D MODEL FROM RHINO AS A SOURCE OF INFORMATION
Using the 3D Model as a source of information is very beneficial. While designing in Rhino is very important to consider all the constraints, dimensions and angles in order to get a precise model. Once this is achieved the model can be used as a source of useful information.
In this case, we used the model to get information about the angles and by having that we were able to laser cut a precise jig, where we placed the physical piece to check where do we need to cut it.
Finally, we end up with four equal pieces, which needed a minimal filing to fit perfectly together.
01 The Rhino Model – Render
02 Trying to fit the two tubes together without knowing the core points
03 Getting the right information from the 3D Model
04 Fitting the tubes together using the new-made jig
05 Fitting the tubes around the jig after they been cutted
MANUFACTURING THE OLOID
The oloids were constructed from 25mm diameter x 1.5mm thick circular hollow steel sections. The process involved bending (01) these to form the required sections on a die of 80mm radius. From the bent sections measurements could be taken on an initial template formed off the Rhino model geometry. Following this, parts could be assembled and checked on our jig for the assembly geometry.
From this, each oloid was placed on a jig under the pillar drill (02) to use a 25mm diameter hole saw bit (03) to form the intersecting point between the two halves. The halves can then be assembled to intersect, with the geometry forcing the components together (04) for welding the whole structure (05).
STUDY MOTIONS
After the model was welded together and polished we investigate the movement of the ”wheel” by merely painting it and rolling it over a white paper to see how it creates its path of movement.
It was exciting to discover where it touches the ground and which points do not have any connection with the ground.
