Boat Functional Sculpture

Boat Functional Sculpture
by Mingxi Li

• Awarded April 15, 2022
• CLIENT: LuXun Academy of Fine Arts
• 13.046

Boat is an interactive toy that responds to changes in the surrounding environment. A highly sensitive vibration sensor starts the movement, so the toy can be activated by sound or gesture instead of a mechanical switch. The main drive shaft carries a concave directional track, and the parts inside the groove shift by gravity and push the toy forward. The motion follows the crawling pattern of arthropods, whose spine is echoed by the main axis. All modeling, transmission parts and hardware are made by 3D printing, so complex structures are formed without assembly.