Smitty constructed this prototype of our spherical deployable structure. It is an assembly of spherical rhombus linkages that expands to form a semi-circular structure.

Here are two videos of our first attempt to build prototypes for some of our six-bar linkage design concepts. These models were built by Steve and Justin with guidance from Smitty.

This is the six-bar linkage that guides a bottom drawer to a position that is level with the top drawer. The links were cut from aluminum and are wobbly.

This six-bar linkage deploys a television display from a horizontal position in the ceiling to a vertical position for viewing. The links are welded steel tube, and the system moves more smoothly.

Mikhail Zhuk generated this animation of Jerome Choe’s concept for a six-bar linkage that rotates a 70in TV monitor down from the ceiling around a virtual pivot positioned down from the ceiling and in front of the wall. We hope to build a physical prototype. (UCI Robotics and Automation Lab)

Prof. A. J. Klein Breteler maintains an array of mechanism models at TU-Delft. Access videos of these models at the site: http://wbmttt.tudelft.nl/cadom/Models/Index.htm

Whiteboard models TU-Delft

This articulated model horse is by the artist James Watt.

A kit for this device and other designs can be found on his web-site: http://clockworkrobot.com/

This animation of Jerome Choe’s concept for a spherical archway was generated by Mikhail Zhuk. Spherical rhombus elements form a foldable structure. (UCI Robotics and Automation Lab)

Mikhail Zhuk animated this design concept for an eight-bar linkage to deploy a collapsible emergency structure. A physical prototype is under development. (UCI Robotics and Automation Lab)

The doors of the Koenigsegg CCX open using the “dihedral synchro-helix door actuation” system. You can see this movement on the video:

Joseph Klann provides a useful comparison of the leg designs for his Mondo Spider and Theo Jansen’s Strandbeest at the link:
http://www.mechanicalspider.com/comparison.html

Here is a walking machine called the Mondo Spider:

The leg of this walking machine is described in US Patent 6,260,862 awarded to Joseph Klann. Access it through the link:
http://www.google.com/patents/about?id=70YHAAAAEBAJ&dq=6,260,862

Wikipedia calls this the Klann linkage described here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Klann_Linkage

The leg of the mondo spider has the topology known as a Stephenson six-bar.