Mechanical Wings
The idea that I would one day build my wife a set of steampunk wings was obvious- the question was HOW?
She defined the criteria very quickly, but the implementation was still very difficult.
As is often the case, you sometimes carry a problem around with you a long time until a simple solution is found!
The steampunk wings should have the following properties:
– When wearing them they must not interfere when sitting down
– They had to be under 2kg total weight
– The mechanism should not be visible when folded
– When folded they should fit through a door
– Operation should be via a simple switch
Since previously created steampunk wings were often created using the scissor or folding mechanism, which always have a visible mechanical lever as result, I had to break new ground. One day, in a slightly warm room at the „Machina Nostalgica“ exhibition, my wife handed me a hand fan.
When I flipped it open I observed the wonderfully simple solution for how I could get the wings to open, the distance between the ribs giving a nice even spread. When the front rib is fixed and you move the rear one, the wings can be opened and closed.
Of course, an immense force would be necessary to make the wings spread around the pivot point, but that was easy to solve. A hollow shaft with a long screw makes the ribs rotate and keeps the entire construct together
Material:
Wooden back plate
Metal gear servo with 12 kg torque (2x)
PicAxe 08M2
Battery voltmeter
6-Volt Lead-acid storage battery
LM7805 Voltage Regulator for the PicAxe
LED red/green (2x)
Wooden frame and natural canvas for the wings.
Cardboard, napkins, wood stain and wax for the housing.
Brass hose, brass plate and E40 Brass socket for the steering unit.
back to workshop
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