Basic CAD, Spring 2016, Instructor: Diau Hall
Connection Project
A toy concept developed in SolidWorks and grown into a physical prototype.
Prompt | Timeline: 2 Weeks
Create a connection between two objects designed in SolidWorks. These connections are meant to be temporary, and their "connected" state should be obvious. Your design should not be easily fabricated in the real world, celebrating their unique ability to be "grown" using 3D printing. Your CAD concept will be tested through the creation of a rapid prototype.
Process
I decided to design two objects that would interact as a maze of sorts. One object would be the maze key that would navigate the other object, the housing, which would have the maze built into it.
In its connected state, the key rests inside the housing. There are built-in grooves in the housing to make it easier to pick up the key, and there are dimples in the key to make it easy to hold. In order to navigate the maze, the user must rotate the key at almost every corner. The key will not pass through the maze unless it is oriented the correct way, as its sides are dimensioned differently.
