Ornithopter Movement Study

2023 - Collaboration with Shay Salehi

I met Shay at a robotic church production and later collaborated when Shay sustained a wrist injury before her thesis deadline. Unable to complete her kinetic ornithopter sculpture experiments, Shay requested assistance refining the wing movement mechanics.

Design Improvements

• Remade the piece from original DXF files
• Reduced overall build volume
• Unified the gear block and arms into single components
• Enlarged the wing surfaces
• Repositioned gears at pitch radius to minimize grinding noise
• Prioritized mechanical compactness

I employed SolidWorks block modeling to verify kinematics before finalizing specifications. Parts were manufactured through SendCutSend, with Shay handling assembly in her studio.

The finished sculpture features mechanical elements that visually recede while the wings command viewer attention through their movement.