Summary of KINETIC SCULPTURE INTERMITTENTLY LIGHTS UP THE NIGHT
Eirik Brandal built a complex kinetic sculpture originally intended as a simple CNC test. It features two motors driving eight gears of differing cog counts, LEDs mounted on gear spokes using bent legs and homemade slip rings for intermittent lighting, and a piezo disk that picks up gear vibrations for amplified sound. Control is via an Arduino Nano Every. The project blends mechanical intricacy with audio and light elements to create a motor-driven, visually and sonically engaging sculpture.
Parts used in the Kinetic Sculpture:
- Arduino Nano Every
- Two motors
- Eight gears with various cog counts
- LEDs
- Homemade slip rings
- Piezo disk
- Amplifier for piezo signal
- Acrylic plates (CNC cut)
- Wiring and connectors
- Mechanical mounting hardware (shafts, bearings, fasteners)
We absolutely love the impetus of this project, as it definitely sounds like something a Hackaday reader would go through. After finally deciding between a CNC router and a laser cutter, [Eirik Brandal] was planning to “Hello, World” the CNC with something quick and simple, like maybe a few acrylic plates with curves and some electronics. Instead, feature creep took over, “things escalated out of control”, and [Eirik] came up with this intriguing and complicated kinetic sculpture.
As you’ll see in the demo video below, this is a motor-driven sculpture with sound and intermittent light. It has an Arduino Nano Every, two motors, and eight gears with various cog counts to accommodate the project. The light comes from LEDs that are attached to the DIY gears with their legs bent and their little feet sliding around homemade slip rings in order to alight.
But what about the sound? There’s an affixed piezo disk that picks up the gears’ vibrations and chafing, and this gets amplified to augment the acoustic sounds of the sculpture. Be sure to check out the quite satisfying demo video after the break, and stick around for the build video.
Are you as fascinated by kinetic sculptures as we are? Here’s on that uses machine learning in order to bring balance to itself.
Source: KINETIC SCULPTURE INTERMITTENTLY LIGHTS UP THE NIGHT
- What microcontroller is used in the sculpture?
The sculpture uses an Arduino Nano Every. - How many motors drive the sculpture?
The sculpture is driven by two motors. - How is light provided on the gears?
LEDs are attached to the gears with their legs bent and their feet sliding on homemade slip rings for intermittent lighting. - How is sound produced from the sculpture?
A piezo disk picks up gear vibrations and chafing, and this signal is amplified to augment the acoustic sound. - How many gears are in the build?
There are eight gears with various cog counts used in the project. - What material was used for the initial plates?
Acrylic plates cut by CNC were used. - Does the project include a demonstration video?
Yes, the article references a demo video and a build video. - Were slip rings homemade or commercial?
The slip rings used in the project are homemade.
