Kinetic Sculptures in Topology and Mechanics
摘要
In this chapter, two examples of kinetic sculptures are presented. They were conceived during the process of understanding two ideas in mathematics and built from electromechanical and 3D printed parts. The first sculpture is a 3D drawing machine, used to sketch Boy’s surface using electronic light. The second sculpture is a model of a falling cat, used to illustrate how a cat with zero angular momentum in free fall can flip its body at a speed amenable to human perception. The former’s mathematical origin of William Thurston’s corrugation technique and the latter’s artistic inspiration from Alexander Calder’s Chat Mobile are also discussed.