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I worked in the MIT Department of Architecture on HypoSurface during the summer of 2013. HypoSurface is a large three-dimensional display system with triangular tiles that physically move. It responds to sounds and movement, and when combined with light projections produces a visually mesmerizing experience.
The first generation of HypoSurface used pneumatic actuators. However, the pneumatic system was loud, which detracted from the experience. The pneumatics were also difficult to handle and prone to break, resulting in significant down-time for repairs. I was brought on to the project to assist in the redesign to transition to servo motor actuators for a stiffer, quieter, and more reliable system.
My contributions included:
The first generation of HypoSurface used pneumatic actuators. However, the pneumatic system was loud, which detracted from the experience. The pneumatics were also difficult to handle and prone to break, resulting in significant down-time for repairs. I was brought on to the project to assist in the redesign to transition to servo motor actuators for a stiffer, quieter, and more reliable system.
My contributions included:
- Developed several solutions for possible configurations of motors, actuators, rods, and bearings
- Modeled each possible configuration in both SolidWorks and Rhino, and presented them to project's principal investigator
- Designed custom mechanical parts to interface the servo motors with tile rods
- Generated drawings to be manufactured as prototypes