As a project in Design Principles, students were assigned a mechanism or mechanical concept and asked to create an informative works-like model demonstrating the physics of the mechanism. I was tasked with explaining how a lever can be used to increase lifting power. The final model employed interactive weighted levers to demonstrate how the distance of the effort force from the fulcrum dictates how much power is needed to lift a load.
The design uses bright color coding, interactive sliding windows, and pictures to appeal to children, while still harboring a clean, modern-art aesthetic to keep adults interested.
size: 12" x 12" x 10"
materials: styrene, pennies, wire, spray paint
detail
preliminary test model
preliminary research boards explaining the forces and physics at work in different kinds of levers
