Mechanical Design

Computer Aided Design

For my CAD design, I chose to model a pendulum in the shape of an eye because I liked it as a symbol and also felt it would be simple enough to model and manufacture. I used Fusion 360 to create both the pendulum and the escapement wheel. The escapement wheel and the top 0.5 inches of the pendulum were fixed elements that I couldn't change, but everything else was open for design. I adjusted the upper portion of the pendulum to be narrower to leave room for my custom shape.

One of the main trade-offs I made was making the eye perfectly symmetric. This is because it was necessary to keep the center of gravity directly below the pivot point, which is important for stability and consistent oscillation. I also simplified the design to make sure it could be cleanly cut using the laser cutter, since more complex curves can sometimes cause fitting issues or errors in the cutting process.