Designing and Fabricating Mechanical

Automata from Mocap Sequences

Duygu Ceylan Wilmot Li Niloy J. Mitra

Maneesh Agrawala Mark Pauly
Mechanical Automata
 Mechanical Automata

Time Piece - Switzerland

 Mechanical Automata

Time Piece - Switzerland

The Writer
(designed by Jaquet-Droz)
 Mechanical Automata

Time Piece - Switzerland

windup toys

The Writer
(designed by Jaquet-Droz)
 Challenges

Conceptual Design
 Challenges

Conceptual Design Configuration

 Challenges

Conceptual Design Configuration Spatial Layout

 Challenges

Conceptual Design Configuration Spatial Layout

 Challenges

Conceptual Design Configuration Spatial Layout

How can we automate this process?

Related Work
 Related Work
Commercial Solutions

Autodesk Inventor

Solidworks
 Related Work
Commercial Solutions Conceptual Design

Autodesk Inventor Zu et al. 2008

Solidworks
 Related Work
Commercial Solutions Conceptual Design

Autodesk Inventor Zu et al. 2008

Configuration

Solidworks Haller et al. 2009

 Related Work
Commercial Solutions Conceptual Design Automated Mechanism Design

Autodesk Inventor Zu et al. 2008 Zhu et al. Sig. Asia 2012

Configuration

Solidworks Haller et al. 2009

 Related Work
Commercial Solutions Conceptual Design Automated Mechanism Design

Autodesk Inventor Zu et al. 2008 Zhu et al. Sig. Asia 2012

Configuration

Solidworks Haller et al. 2009

 Related Work
Commercial Solutions Conceptual Design Automated Mechanism Design

Autodesk Inventor Zu et al. 2008 Zhu et al. Sig. Asia 2012

Configuration

Solidworks Haller et al. 2009 Coros et al. Siggraph 2013

 Related Work
Commercial Solutions Conceptual Design Automated Mechanism Design

Autodesk Inventor Zu et al. 2008 Zhu et al. Sig. Asia 2012

Configuration

Solidworks Haller et al. 2009 Coros et al. Siggraph 2013

 Related Work
Commercial Solutions Conceptual Design Automated Mechanism Design

Autodesk Inventor Zu et al. 2008 Zhu et al. Sig. Asia 2012

Configuration

Solidworks Haller et al. 2009 Coros et al. Siggraph 2013

 Design Pipeline

Input Motion Generated Automaton

 Design Pipeline

Input Motion Generated Automaton

 Design Pipeline

Input Motion Generated Automaton

 Design Pipeline

Input Motion Generated Automaton

Motion Approximation
 Design Pipeline

Input Motion Generated Automaton

Motion Approximation Kinematic chains & layout

 Design Pipeline

Input Motion Generated Automaton

Motion Approximation Kinematic chains & layout Fabrication

Automaton Design
 Automaton Design

kinematic
chains
 Automaton Design
✓ single input crank

kinematic
chains
 Automaton Design
✓ single input crank

kinematic
chains
 Automaton Design
✓ single input crank

kinematic
chains
 Automaton Design
✓ single input crank

pulleys gears

kinematic
chains
 Automaton Design
✓ single input crank

pulleys gears four-bar linkage

✓ oscillation module: combination of simple mechanisms
kinematic
chains
 Automaton Design
✓ single input crank

pulleys gears four-bar linkage

✓ oscillation module: combination of simple mechanisms
kinematic
chains

✓ hierarchy of oscillations with varying phase/frequency

 Automaton Design
✓ single input crank

pulleys gears four-bar linkage

✓ oscillation module: combination of simple mechanisms
kinematic
chains

✓ free-standing ✓ hierarchy of oscillations with varying phase/frequency

 Design Pipeline

Input Motion Generated Automaton

Motion Approximation Kinematic chains & Layout Fabrication

Planar Approximation
Planar Approximation
 Planar Approximation

four-bar linkage
four-bar linkage pulleys oscillation module bevel gears

four-bar linkage
pulleys pulleys oscillation module bevel gears
 Planar Approximation

four-bar linkage
four-bar linkage pulleys oscillation module bevel gears

four-bar linkage
pulleys pulleys oscillation module bevel gears

pulleys oscillation module

bevel-gears
bevel gears
 Planar Approximation

four-bar linkage
four-bar linkage pulleys oscillation module bevel gears

four-bar linkage
pulleys pulleys oscillation module bevel gears

pulleys oscillation module

bevel-gears
bevel gears
 Planar Approximation

four-bar linkage
four-bar linkage pulleys oscillation module bevel gears

four-bar linkage
pulleys pulleys oscillation module bevel gears

pulleys oscillation module

bevel-gears
bevel gears
 Planar Approximation

four-bar linkage
four-bar linkage pulleys oscillation module bevel gears

four-bar linkage
pulleys pulleys oscillation module bevel gears

pulleys oscillation module

bevel-gears
bevel gears input motion planar motion
 Oscillation Module

oscillation module
 Oscillation Module

Fi
Di Ai
oscillation module

the four-bar linkage converts

uni-directional rotation to oscillation
 Oscillation Module
li 1

Fi
Di Ai
oscillation module

the four-bar linkage converts

uni-directional rotation to oscillation
 Oscillation Module
li 1

Fi
Di Ai
oscillation module

li

the
theoutput
four-bar
crank
linkage
of the
converts
linkage
uni-directional
drives the rotation
link attached
to oscillation
to it
 Oscillation Module
li 1

Fi
Di Ai
oscillation module

li

Pi Qi li
the
the
theoutput
four-bar
pulleyscrank
propagate
linkage
of the
converts
the
linkage
uni-directional
input
drives
rotation
the rotation
link
toattached
the to
next
oscillation
to
linkit
Di+1
Motion Approximation

t
 Motion Approximation

i
 Motion Approximation

X #fX
#links rames ✓ ◆2
i (t) i (t)
E i = sin
i t
2
 Motion Approximation

t angular speed linkage parameters

X #fX
#links rames ✓ ◆2
i (t) i (t)
E i = sin
i t
2
 Motion Approximation

t angular speed linkage parameters

i 1

↵ + i 1
↵
i

#links rames ✓ ◆2 ↵˙i depends on input speed & pulley ratios

X #fX (t) (t)
i i
E i = sin
i t
2
 Motion Approximation

t angular speed linkage parameters

i 1

↵ + i 1
↵
i

#links rames ✓ ◆2 ↵˙i depends on input speed & pulley ratios

X #fX (t) (t)
i i
E i = sin
i t
2
 Motion Approximation

t angular speed linkage parameters

i 1

↵ + i 1
↵
i

#links rames ✓ ◆2 ↵˙i depends on input speed & pulley ratios

X #fX (t) (t)
i i
E i = sin
i t
2
 Motion Approximation

t angular speed linkage parameters

i 1

↵ + i 1
↵
i

#links rames ✓ ◆2 ↵˙i depends on input speed & pulley ratios

X #fX (t) (t)
i i
E i = sin
i t
2
SQP method in the MATLAB
Optimization Toolbox
 Design Pipeline

Input Motion Generated Automaton

Motion Approximation Kinematic chains & layout Fabrication

Layout: Kinematic chains

Fi

gi
Layout: Kinematic chains

Fi
scale
gi
 Layout: Kinematic chains

Fi
scale
gi

tooth count
 Layout: Kinematic chains

Fi
scale
gi

tooth count

pulley sizes & belt length

 Layout: Kinematic chains

Fi
scale
gi

tooth count

pulley sizes & belt length

(limited options)
 Layout: Kinematic chains

link lengths

Fi
scale
gi

tooth count

pulley sizes & belt length

(limited options)
 Layout: Kinematic chains
X
link lengths Ej = wa ⇤ Eang + wp ⇤ Epul + ws ⇤ Elength
i

Fi
scale
gi

tooth count

pulley sizes & belt length

(limited options)
 Layout: Kinematic chains
X
link lengths Ej = wa ⇤ Eang + wp ⇤ Epul + ws ⇤ Elength
i

match the desired angular speed

of each oscillation module
Fi
scale
gi

tooth count

pulley sizes & belt length

(limited options)
 Layout: Kinematic chains
X
link lengths Ej = wa ⇤ Eang + wp ⇤ Epul + ws ⇤ Elength
i

match the desired angular speed

of each oscillation module
Fi
scale
find the functioning pulley parameters:
gi
belt length & wheel radii
tooth count

pulley sizes & belt length

(limited options)
 Layout: Kinematic chains
X
link lengths Ej = wa ⇤ Eang + wp ⇤ Epul + ws ⇤ Elength
i

match the desired angular speed

of each oscillation module
Fi
scale
find the functioning pulley parameters:
gi
belt length & wheel radii
tooth count
preserve the relative bone lengths

pulley sizes & belt length

(limited options)
 Layout: Kinematic chains
X
link lengths Ej = wa ⇤ Eang + wp ⇤ Epul + ws ⇤ Elength
i

match the desired angular speed

of each oscillation module
Fi
scale
find the functioning pulley parameters:
gi
belt length & wheel radii
tooth count
preserve the relative bone lengths
X
E= Ej + Esym
j

pulley sizes & belt length

(limited options)
 Layout: Kinematic chains
X
link lengths Ej = wa ⇤ Eang + wp ⇤ Epul + ws ⇤ Elength
i

match the desired angular speed

of each oscillation module
Fi
scale
find the functioning pulley parameters:
gi
belt length & wheel radii
tooth count
preserve the relative bone lengths
X
E= Ej + Esym
j

pulley sizes & belt length assign similar lengths

(limited options) to symmetric link pairs
 Layout: Kinematic chains
X
link lengths Ej = wa ⇤ Eang + wp ⇤ Epul + ws ⇤ Elength
i

continuous match the desired angular speed

of each oscillation module
Fi
scale
find the functioning pulley parameters:
gi
belt length & wheel radii
tooth count
preserve the relative bone lengths
X
discrete E= Ej + Esym
j

pulley sizes & belt length assign similar lengths

(limited options) to symmetric link pairs

Gurobi, mixed-integer solver

Layout: Unified design
 Layout: Unified design

es oscillation module
pulleys bevelmodule
oscillation gears bevel gears
 Layout: Unified design

es oscillation module
pulleys bevelmodule
oscillation gears bevel gears
 Layout: Unified design

es oscillation module
pulleys bevelmodule
oscillation gears bevel gears
 Design Pipeline

Input Motion Generated Automaton

Motion Approximation Kinematic chains & layout Fabrication

 Fabrication

generated automata laser-cut & purchased pieces

 Fabrication

generated automata laser-cut & purchased pieces physical prototype

 Results: Walking

Input Motion Generated Automaton Physical Prototype

 Results: Dancing

Input Motion Generated Automaton Physical Prototype

 Results: Ballerina

Input Motion Motion Approximation Generated Automaton

 Design Pipeline

Input Motion Generated Automaton

Motion Approximation Kinematic chains & layout Fabrication

 Design Pipeline

Input Motion Generated Automaton

oscillation
module

Motion Approximation Kinematic chains & layout Fabrication

 Design Pipeline

Input Motion Generated Automaton

oscillation fabrication
module constraints

Motion Approximation Kinematic chains & layout Fabrication

Limitations

‣ planar approximation
Limitations

‣ planar approximation
‣ single input crank
‣ simple planar mechanisms
Limitations

‣ planar approximation
‣ single input crank
‣ simple planar mechanisms
Limitations

‣ planar approximation
‣ single input crank
‣ simple planar mechanisms

non-circular gears 6-bar linkages

 What is next?

Motion Capture
with Microsoft Kinect Input Motion Generated Automaton
(tracking by ipi Soft)
 What is next?

self-standing automata other mechanisms

Acknowledgements

Zohreh Sasanian
Minh Dang
Nobuyuki Umetani
Tina J. Simith
EPFL ENAC Output Center
ERC Starting Grant 257453 COSYM
Marie Curie Career Integration Grant
Adobe Research Grant
UCL Impact Award
 Thank you...

http://www.duygu-ceylan.com/duygu-ceylan/mechAuto.html