#muscle wire

[perspiration-one-percent]

muscle wireを使い開花するテスト

[persasprocess-blog]

26.2.15 motion without motors!! 

Muscle memory wires used  

[rlfbckr-blog]

ralf baecker, 2014 http://www.rlfbckr.org/work/mirage/

[j-foottit-creativetech]

We are looking at using muscle wire as an actuator for our glove. It has a range of possible applications from force-feedback on the fingers to tactile response (e.g. coiled around a finger). Initially I suspected it may be too expensive and unable to produce sufficient force, however further research has led us to reconsider it as an alternative. We have ordered small amount for testing and I'm excited to see how it goes.

[cecilia1720-blog]

[zoekwa]

Muscle Wire Drawing Tentacle (by ntheory)

[itpabb-blog]

High Res images of Phototrope

[itpabb-blog]

Phototrope Project Documentation

Phototrope is a kinetic canvas that amplifies an obvious but sometimes forgotten part of our daily lives - the way light changes from season to season, throughout the day, whether inside or outside. 

Phototrope constantly measures ambient light: the more light there is, the stronger and higher the leaf-like papers arch and curl, as real plants do in the sun; the less light, the gentler and lower they unfurl.

Phototrope moves in a tangible, mesmerizing way - using the material of muscle wire (nitinol) as a mechanism for the curling motion. The muscle wire is silent and responsive in a surprisingly biological way - mimicking animal muscles or the movement of plants (sped up).

It was exhibited in the Winter Show 2012 at NYU's Interactive Telecommunications Program.

BACK SIDE:

I used an Arduino and a photoresistor to measure the amount of light.

The circuit uses a TIP120 and a heatsink. The Arduino sends a signal mapped to the amount of light the photoresistor receives. This is the "OFF" in the circuit - the muscle wires are always connected to the external power source (2.5 Amps, 6 Volts). 

The muscle wire I used is .006HT "Flexinol" brand. 

Each leaf has approximately 9.6 inches of muscle wire sewn into place and connected to the Arduino through a copper tape circuit.

The .006HT muscle wire's data sheet indicates that it requires 400 milliAmps of current or 0.4 Amps. It also indicates that the resistance per length is 1.3 Ohms per inch.

Using Ohm's Law, I have the following equation:

I = V/R or V = I*R

5V = 0.4A*R

5/.4 = R = 12.5 Ohms

12.5Ohms / 1.3Ohms = target length 

total resistance / resistance per length

= 9.6 inches

If you do not calculate the amount you need in this way, you will end up feeding the muscle wire with too much power and you will burn it out.

While you may want to increase the power a little bit (here I increased from 5V to 6V because there was not enough power to make all the leaves really move), don't increase it too much or the muscle wires will burn.

Follow this tutorial if you are intereste

d in making things with muscle wire:

http://makingfurnitureinteractive.wordpress.com/2007/10/11/muscle-wire/