Balance Bending

Balance Bending conflates complex fabrication processes with physics computation. Defined by two input curves, the computational model calculates a series of angles and distances to ensure two realities. The first being that each rod is capable of fabrication. The second being that when composed, the rods balance each other across a single spine, thus defining a global geometry in space.

Results of the Robotic Gravity Workshop at the University of Michigan Taubman College of Architecture & Urban Planning by Brandon Clifford, Wes McGee, and Daniel Piker.


Credits

year: 2015
workshop: Robotic Gravity Workshop
location: University of Michigan: Taubman College
material: Robotically Bent Steel Rod
principal: Brandon Clifford + Wes McGee
collaborator: Daniel Piker
students: Dhananjay Bisht \ Andrew Bovi \ Rebecca Braun \ Dustin Brugmann \ Siyu Chen \ Eleonora Flores \ Kristen Gandy \ Safei Gu \ Grant Herron \ Brock Hinze \ Mark Knutson \ John Larmor \ Xiaofei Liu \ Jordan Lutren \ Asa Peller \ Adam Rosekelly \ Seyed Seyedahmadian \ Elitsa Slavova \ Tyler Smith \ Timothy Sutherland \ Jayme Van Oot \ Jiahui Wang \ Yinglin Wu
acknowledgements: This workshop employs the robotic rod bending process designed and developed by Wes McGee at the University of Michigan's FABLab and Daniel Piker's Kangaroo Physics plugin for grasshopper to solve the balancing act.