Select Page

Research

Kinetic Hanging Sculpture

Tags

Engineering, Prototype, STEM Education, Art, GitHub

Kinetic Sculpture Prototype Demo

The Challenge

To design and prototype a hanging mechanical sculpture where multiple suspended spheres can be independently controlled in their vertical position. The goal was to create dynamic, organic flowing patterns and wave-like movements (e.g., sine waves). This project explores the integration of stepper motors, advanced motor drivers, and microcontroller programming for precise and expressive kinetic motion.

Stepper Motor and ESP32 Wiring

My Solution & Approach

This is an ongoing personal project focused on developing both the mechanical system and the control electronics for a multi-element kinetic sculpture. I began by designing the overall structure and individual winch mechanisms in Vectorworks. I then prototyped the core winch system using NEMA 17 stepper motors and adapted off-the-shelf components to create a functional spool. The control system is built around an ESP32 microcontroller and TMC2209 drivers for quiet, precise motor control, programmed in C++ with the AccelStepper library.

Tabletop Enclosure Design

Technical Highlights & Learnings

  1. Precision Kinetic Motion: Utilized NEMA 17 stepper motors and TMC2209 drivers for accurate and smooth vertical actuation.
  2. ESP32 Microcontroller Programming: Developed C++ code with the AccelStepper library for multi-axis stepper control and sequence generation.
  3. Resourceful Winch Mechanism Design: Engineered a functional winch system by adapting off-the-shelf components like thread spools and motor shaft couplings.
  4. CAD for Mechanical Design: Used Vectorworks for the complete visualization, planning, and creation of fabrication drawings for the enclosure and mechanical parts.
  5. Iterative Prototyping: Successfully built and tested individual electronic and mechanical components in isolation before full system integration.

Project Files

GitHub Repository: Wiring instructions, winch mechanism design, and C++ files are available on GitHub.

Tools & Technologies Used

Programming: C++ (Arduino IDE)
Design: Vectorworks
Hardware ESP32-DevKitC-32E, NEMA 17 Stepper Motors, TMC2209 Drivers, Mean Well LRS-100-12 Power Supply