Control System and Data Preparation for Kinetic Sculpture Pendulum

In the realization of kinetic sculptures for the Lasvit company, a work of art is combined with a unique mechatronic system. The same is the case with the sculpture Pendulum, the realization of which is dealt with in this article. The sculpture allows you to draw any shapes in the sand under the 19 m long “pendulum”. It is not a pendulum in the true sense of the word, as there are three winding units attached to it that define its movement. This article looks at the technical implementation behind this artwork. From the selection of mechanical components, through the preparation of the mathematical apparatus, to the implementation of the control system. The key point is the processing of image data, or rather the preparation of the trajectory of the movement of the sculpture based on the image template from the client. A unique application was developed specifically for these purposes, enabling a complex and intuitive design of the trajectory. The output is a binary file that is processed by the sculpture control system. In the end, interesting problems that arose during the implementation of the project and possibilities for further development of this unique system are mentioned.