This instructable covers the making of an undulating mechanism.
Just a thingy that you can turn and it moves in a wavy way.
Initially it started as a try to make an Anomalocaris:
But with six wings
That proved to be a bit unfeasible with just paperclips.
However the end result is very similar and the movement still looks quite good (especially that spine).
And it turns surprisingly smooth for a paperclip mechanism.
There are some things done that reduced the 'goodness' but I will point them out later.
Just, if somebody tries something similar, just make it bigger than this one, that's the main advice.
Just a thingy that you can turn and it moves in a wavy way.
Initially it started as a try to make an Anomalocaris:
But with six wings
That proved to be a bit unfeasible with just paperclips.
However the end result is very similar and the movement still looks quite good (especially that spine).
And it turns surprisingly smooth for a paperclip mechanism.
There are some things done that reduced the 'goodness' but I will point them out later.
Just, if somebody tries something similar, just make it bigger than this one, that's the main advice.
Remove these ads by
Signing UpStep 1: Materials used
Materials used:
-Different paper clips:
A lot of smaller, easy to bend ones.
A couple of strong, hard to bend ones.
-Thick plastic (whiteboard) marker
-Some discardable ballpoint pens.
-A flexible, plastic ruler. (often given as advertisement).
-An even more flexible, very flat (almost paper thin), small plastic ruler. (also advertisment).
-rubber band
-some twine
Tools used:
-lots of glue
-Soldering Iron (but can be replaced by whatever can fix two wires together (solder is just very fast and easy)
-Needle nose pliers (or sust fine pliers). One is necessary but a second one is highly recommended.
-Pointy object to make a fine hole in plastic.
-Perforator to cut small plastic circles (out of the small ruler).
-Whatever helps.
-Different paper clips:
A lot of smaller, easy to bend ones.
A couple of strong, hard to bend ones.
-Thick plastic (whiteboard) marker
-Some discardable ballpoint pens.
-A flexible, plastic ruler. (often given as advertisement).
-An even more flexible, very flat (almost paper thin), small plastic ruler. (also advertisment).
-rubber band
-some twine
Tools used:
-lots of glue
-Soldering Iron (but can be replaced by whatever can fix two wires together (solder is just very fast and easy)
-Needle nose pliers (or sust fine pliers). One is necessary but a second one is highly recommended.
-Pointy object to make a fine hole in plastic.
-Perforator to cut small plastic circles (out of the small ruler).
-Whatever helps.
Visit Our Store »
Go Pro Today »
All my thoughts are in the instructable. I've explained some of the problems I had, so they can be avoided. (e.g make sure you connect the moving rod to a good spot on the wings (because of leverage => good movement). And if you do multiple wings and you want to connect them to make one large undulating wing, watch out that it isn't too stiff as was the case with me.
I had multiple offset discs too, but they didn't all fit. The shaft was small and rigid enough to function without them.
Good luck!
Let me know how it turns out!
I've looked to Theo Jansen's strandbeesten to see how it works, but the same mechanism would not have worked here.
Awesome that you've remembered this. (Cool to know that my instructable stays active in the subconsciousness of other people)
Maybe the plastic wings added in step 12 are too tight, it would be the reason to its stiffness. Try leaving a wave between a rod and the following. That will allow better movement.
I have just removed them and now there is only a very thin glue membrane left. It moves more fluent.
Later today I will add an other animation of the wing movement.
One wing would go up while the other goes down.
It is more similar to 12 ornithopter mechanisms behind each other.
One moves barely, and the other turns from a wave shape to flat and back.
Before the plastic was glued on they moved nicely (for paper clips).
But I will add some more animations tomorrow( hopefully with more light and sharper)