What is the Iris Box?

Project Overview

The Iris Box is a highly interdependent mechanical system comprised on three main features: 1) Iris petals, 2) Bowl compartment, and 3) Housing box. During operation, a user will turn the pentagonal table top one clockwise rotation to lower and open the center petals, allowing enough space for the hidden bowl compartment to then raise. When the table top is turned back one counter-clockwise rotation, the motion smoothly reverses such that the bowl lowers and the petals rise to be flush with the rest of the table top surface. 

Motivation & Inspiration

The Iris Box project aimed to pair complex mechanical design with satisfying operation for users. With a circular center that open like an iris camera lens to expose a hidden compartment, the Iris Box was the perfect project to combine the team's desire for function and finnesse. 

Inspiration for the project came from a hobby machinist named @evanmakes1 on Instagram. The team was intrigued by the complexity behind what seemed like an everyday piece of furniture—a table—and decided to create a simliar design with several key differences. For an additional challenge, the team chose to build a five-petal design housed in a five-sided box rather than the original six-petal design in a four-sided box. With a asymmetrical internal and external parts, all components were redesigned by the team. Additionally, alternative materials were strategically chosen to achive the design's function without exceeding the $350 budget.