University of California, San Diego
Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering
MAE 156B: Senior Design Project
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Project Background
Tecture Design and Fabrication Studios is a San Diego based architectural design and manufacturing company, that specializes in custom art installations. Tecture is skilled at traditional machining techniques for static art pieces, but wants to evolve their technical capacity toward creating kinetic and immersive experiences.
Tecture Design and Fabrication Studios is a San Diego based architectural design and manufacturing company, that specializes in custom art installations. Tecture is skilled at traditional machining techniques for static art pieces, but wants to evolve their technical capacity toward creating kinetic and immersive experiences.
Objective
The objective of this project was to design, build, test, and document mechanically operated prototypes. These prototypes would be a proof of concept of a technical design that Tecture could implement into their art pieces. With the knowledge of how these prototypes functioned, Tecture could implement their technical components into large scale mechanical art pieces with kinetic and interactable features.
The objective of this project was to design, build, test, and document mechanically operated prototypes. These prototypes would be a proof of concept of a technical design that Tecture could implement into their art pieces. With the knowledge of how these prototypes functioned, Tecture could implement their technical components into large scale mechanical art pieces with kinetic and interactable features.
Description of Final Design
This mechanical art piece serves as a small scale demonstration of what could later be scaled into a larger scale art piece. The prototype consists of nine linear servo motors mounted inside a container, which are aligned in a grid pattern. An art piece is mounted to these servo motors, which moves according to their programmed movement. The servo motors can be independently controlled, or be controlled by sensors that allow the motion to react to the environment.
This mechanical art piece serves as a small scale demonstration of what could later be scaled into a larger scale art piece. The prototype consists of nine linear servo motors mounted inside a container, which are aligned in a grid pattern. An art piece is mounted to these servo motors, which moves according to their programmed movement. The servo motors can be independently controlled, or be controlled by sensors that allow the motion to react to the environment.
Summary of Performative Results
Desired Results of the Project:
3x3 grid of motorized, controllable panels that can be put together with itself to create a larger piece.
Implementation of artistic component(s) that will go on top of panel
Software to ensure that each of these “panels” be controllable individually
‘Wow!’ Solution: Integrate AI vision as an interactive component
Major Requirements:
Overall enclosure dimensions not exceeding 460 mm × 460 mm × 241 mm
Modular 3 × 3 actuator grid capable of expansion into larger arrays
Minimum actuator stroke length of 50 mm
Minimum actuator linear speed of 20 mm/s
Average operational noise not exceeding 70 dB
Individual software control of 9 independent actuators
Real-time response to user input from sensor and/or AI depth camera
All artistic components must include an M6 threaded attachment point compatible with the actuator rod
Team Members:
Abdulla Zidan, Youngyen Lin, Anthony Mark, Darsh Pawani
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