The goal of this project was to explore how different wire thicknesses effect the bending properties of components through creating a dynamic system of rigid and active bodies. We developed components which assisted us in examining the behavior of a system clearly. These components included a rigid body which embodied a simplified primitive geometry as the main unit of this system, which was then accompanied by an active and rather complex unit. The geometry on these components was studied in detail to facilitate the dynamic system which resulted in the decision of having the rigid body in a volumetric organization and the active one toggling between 2D and 3D.

The connection point between two pyramids’ components were facilitated through the attachment of our active, slider component. By attaching the edge points of the pyramids to the mobile wire within the movable loop, we can afford a basic expansion or contraction of the space between. As separate entities, the pyramid and the slider act oppositely. The slider creates its own internal tension through the deformation of the wires. The pyramid is fixed in its body, only changing when applying outside forces. When pulling and pushing the slider handle, a reaction is caused where the outer loop expands or contracts, creating movement that scales the distance between the two wires. The main aggregated module is comprised of five pyramids and two sliders. There is a center pyramid, in which every point is attached to another pyramid, comprising a five-part pyramidal structure. By attaching two sliders on opposite edges of the center pyramid, the flex is most seen in the end points of the triangles, compressing and coming together when movement is applied.

Creating a source module for our cloud formation allowed us to explore variations in connections, leading us to decide upon a clamping mechanism in application to the loop. The clamping of two triangles when a loop/slider is pulled, we find that there is a tension that is transferred from the deformable component (sliders) to the rigid components (pyramids). Trying to combine one module with another posed a problem for us to solve. We explored the idea of a chain link. With each module being a link in the chain, we are able to expand the module into a more dynamic form. Just as well, these formations allow for an extreme variation in dimensionality through the tension acquired within the slider.