wait , weight
project proposal for BEAM 2015 by Danai Manolesou
Project description The project addresses a game of balance, through a series of self-erecting objects. Wait, weight invites children to explore a fundamental principle for body mechanics, that all of us execute mechanically everyday just by walking: transfer of our centre of mass. It is a game that arouses their perception about how they can find balance, or how they fall out of it.
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The prototype toy consists of a hemispherical base and an upper part, which varies in relation to the number of participants and the movement and postures it allows for them. The prototype follows the physical principle of a roly-poly toy: it has its center of mass in a low position, so that when pushed to the side by a force minor to its own weight, it doesn’t fall but seeks again the upright orientation. Mathematically, this can be described as a monostatic polytope, a shape that has instability on all but one of its faces — that is, it’s unstable enough to right itself from all placements but one. In addition, it resembles another shape known for righting itself that is found in nature — turtle shells (especially highly domed terrestrial tortoises, such as Geochelone elegans, Geochelone radiata , Gábor Domokos and Péter L Várkonyi, 2007). Children are invited to sit, grab and balance moving around this upper part while the Wait, Weight starts to roll. Furthermore, it is attempted that children become familiar with concepts of physics and maths in a practical manner (such as centroid or stable and unstable equilibrium point).
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Stop mechanisms Height limitation
The lower part of the prototype toy is a section of a sphere the upper level of which is cut three times diagonally. These diagonal cuts function as a stop mechanism in case the bearing force, from children playing with it, is very strong. In any case the weight of the lower part must be bigger than the calculated forces it is going to bear. It is proposed that it is made from concrete. The middle part of the prototype toy consists of a car tire that is attached on top of the concrete hemispherical base. This again functions as a stop mechanism. Last but not least, the upper part is the area that directs the participants to attempt a ride with the toy. This part consists of either a bamboo structure or tires or a combination of the two, and has some degree of freedom in its design. The five proposed versions vary in the movements and postures each one allows for participants. The first one is the simplest: one small size base and one tire, children can sit or step on it and balance their weight (max. one person). The second one consists of one medium size base, and three tires. This toy directs children in more complicated body postures (max. two persons). The third one, which consists of one medium size base, three tires and one bamboo stick, invites children to climb on it, grab the stick and attempt to turn around. The fourth version looks like a ladder: one medium size base, one tire and several bamboo sticks. With this toy , children could familiarize with the fact that the more they climb up the more easily they can move it, because with this movement they change the bearing force. The last toy consists of one large scale base, one large and one small tire, three bamboo sticks and some meters of chain. This one looks like a swing, but because of the hemispherical base it is a swing that “swings� in three dimensions.
Construction details Through the construction process of these toys, it is attempted that children obtain the knowledge on molding technique and on how to build with materials such as bamboo sticks and tires. It is proposed that the height of each toy never exceeds the imaginable trapezoid shape of the upper level. The upper part of the toy should not exceed the length of the lower part. Furthermore, the max impetus exerted (and thus their height) when children grab any stick should be less than the weight of the concrete base. At last, Wait, Weight would be safer outdoors, in a flattened soil surface, because this will increase the amount of friction.