Aug. 12, 2014
The spinning tops and yo-yos are among the oldest types of playthings, but researchers at Disney Research Zurich and ETH Zurich have found a way to improve it: they have come up with an algorithm that turns a 3D model of almost any shape into a perfectly-balanced spinning top.
The algorithm can take a 3D model of an object and, within less than a minute, calculate how mass can be distributed within the object to enable a stable spin around a desired axis. Sometimes, adding voids within the object is sufficient to provide stability; in other cases, the object's shape might need to be altered a bit or a heavier material might be added inside.
"Our approach is effective on a wide range of models, from characters such as an elephant balancing on its toe, or an armadillo break-dancing on its shell, to abstract shapes," said Moritz Bächer, a post-doctoral researcher at Disney Research Zurich. "It's well-suited to objects that can be produced with a 3D printer, which we used to make tops and yo-yos with unusual shapes but remarkably stable spins."
The new method measures the spinnability of a shape on an axis specified by the user. The software then optimizes spin by counterbalancing asymmetric mass distribution and placing the center of mass as low on the rotation axis as possible. For many shapes, simply hollowing out certain areas is sufficient to improve spin quality; in other cases, the method can make changes in the external shape, as well as the internal voids. If changing the shape is not acceptable, the method also can incorporate heavier materials inside the object.
Using this method, researchers were able to generate and 3D print an object in the shapes of teapots by optimizing rotational dynamics properties. Their method is well-suited for a variety of 3D printed models, ranging from characters to abstract shapes. The approach also can be adapted to the design of non-spinning, statically balanced objects.
You can read their paper on the project here.
Posted in 3D Printing Applications
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