New spherical flexure joint designs (compliant mechanisms)

Open access publication: doi.org/10.1016/j.precisionen...
STL and original CAD files: www.thingiverse.com/thing:484...
These bending structures rotate in 3D around a single point, which floats in the air. Applications could be in nanopositioners or spacecraft, as high-precision alternative to ball-and-socket joints.
Co-authors: Just L. Herder and Volkert van der Wijk. The idea builds on work from the group of Dannis Brouwer from UTwente, see this video: • Flexure Joints for Lar...

[@Nighthawkinlight]

That's super cool

[@gragaloth6237]

I'm not surprised to find you here XD

[@thelion9976]

^^

[@strontium7788]

It really looks surrealistic. (Btw if ur interested i used long strips of very thin "joint papers" for my senko hanabi and achieved very inpresive results. Also thanks a lot for the videos on this topic. You did a lot to preserve the tradition conected to senko hanabi!!!)

[@CockatooDude]

Yeah it was like way cooler than I thought it would be.

[@N4OY4]

amazing i would say

[@michaelfreeman1066]

for anyone wondering, the way they do it is they take a 2d mechanism that can bend in 2 dimensions, and then they extrude it outwards away from the point of rotation. so if you look closely, you can notice that the edges and faces of both mecanisms are exactly perpendicular to the point of rotation. this makes it so that the mechanism can bend around the rotatinal axis, but is rigid in any sort of side to side movement because of the depth of the rigid walls.

[@ChrisCiber]

I'm not big brain enough to get it, even with your explanation.

[@chang.stanley]

@@ChrisCiber He's saying, all the flat parts point to the center

[@ekkan6043]

@@chang.stanley thanks for simplyfying

[@ArnaudMEURET]

Great explanation. Would you happen to know a practical application that benefits from the amazing property of this design?

[@michaelthompson8251]

@@ArnaudMEURET i think it might be for generating more youtube content. but it definitely looks cool

[@JetpackYoshi]

Robot controlled with IK: "Is there No One who can challenge me?" Tetrahedron Flexture Joint: "OHOHOHOHO"

[@atom6486]

"I need to get closer to beat the crap out of you"

[@gonzalogutierrez510]

Zawarudo

[@Malaveldt]

@@gonzalogutierrez510 NANI!?

[@orsonincharge4879]

@@Malaveldt .. you are already bread .

[@MckyeB]

this is so cool, it feels very unnatural to the point of feeling unnerving.

[@_mossy_8520]

uncanny even

[@werlucad5783]

Preternatural if you feel so inclined

[@dracodominus2800]

And disconcerting at the very least.

[@MegaSuperCritic]

Perhaps even a bit perturbing

[@-user_redacted-]

Made even more unnerving by the absolute silence.

[@Jandodev]

This is the coolest application of a compliant material I've seen yet!

[@Jandodev]

What part of it is fake?

[@RGplayer101]

@@clowns8421 are you high?

[@clowns8421]

@@RGplayer101 you must not know how much plastics flex lol

[@RGplayer101]

@@clowns8421 i do actually, i'm an engineer who has worked plenty of times with plastics. and here there is video evidence so why call it fake?

[@rpyrat]

Sure thing!

[@jellerommers2457]

Thanks a lot for all the comments and the ideas for applications! I will upload some CAD files in the coming days.

[@drohnele3741]

maybe cad and stl. cad is coll, because you can change and integrate the model, but not everybody knows how to work with cad software and hasn't an easy way to get the stl file for the printer.

[@anoirbentanfous]

Gimbals is the most obvious application! go for it and patent if you can

[@jellerommers2457]

STL and original CAD files: www.thingiverse.com/thing:4841850

[@drohnele3741]

@@jellerommers2457 thank your foe the file

[@drohnele3741]

@@jellerommers2457 can you upload the first model to?

[@tapist3482]

I feel like the best part of this would be it does not require an actual ball joint at the origin yet you can still simulate a ball joint movement. This may help save space on certain directions.

[@darkrobroy14]

What kind of mad genius comes up with these gizmos

[@Khandrake]

It's incredible seeing how flexible but stable they are

[@DickCheese182]

I'd love to see you measure how much the point actually deviates from the centre using a gauge

[@Bibibosh]

Its about 0.5mm to 1.00mm

[@player-8740]

@@Bibibosh huh, so depending on the use it may be considered either neglidgable or quite a lot

[@MattRogersdesigns]

@@player-8740 Yeah, but like anything, it seems if you have the money you can make it work as well as you need. Could be that it gets larger, or thicker, so more force to move, or different materials to reduce deflection. Still trying to figure out how you would use this type of joint.

[@ClumsyCars]

@@MattRogersdesigns vehicle suspension comes to mind.

[@MattRogersdesigns]

@@ClumsyCars But do you want your wheels moving forwards and back as well as up and down? The fixed point would be the connection to the car frame, so then the wheels would we able to move in all three dimensions, which could cause some weird effects. But maybe for some other sort of vehicle like a Mars rover that operates at slow speed. Good idea.

[@studioINTEGRAND]

not sure how many other people have just been on a binge waltzing through youtube's algorithm gawking at compliant mechanisms but I've been on this kick for like a month this has got to be up there with my favorites. Not only does it precisely perform a function that is really difficult in the realm of servos and hinges, it looks dope as hell doing it

[@corruptlem0n868]

Nice to see a fellow nerd

[@LimabeanStudios]

Any other recommendations?

[@Ezio-Auditore94]

I'm doing the same for almost a month too. I feel like I'm running out of new compliant mechanisms to see. Maybe it's time to buy a book about them. It would be cool trying to replace all possible classical mechanisms with compliant ones, but they're more bulky in almost all dimensions. It looks like even if they have lots of ideal properties, classic mechanisms are almost always more compact.

[@indago5032]

Very fascinating! I'd love to 3D print this and have it as a desk-toy.

[@pcdc1337]

Have you possibly found a STL file for this? Its too cool to not 3D print. Although it seems like actually printing it would be a pain, because of the weird geometry.

[@CookieCraftMedia]

@@pcdc1337 SLA printers might be able to print this, or perhaps even regular FDM ones if this model could be printed in parts and then assembled later, but since there is no STL or any model files at all it seems we're out of luck. And I definitely won't be designing these from scratch either

[@CookieCraftMedia]

Nevermind, someone actually made a video about printing one and there's even a STL file in the description! Will definitely give this a try once I get my steppers fixed kzbin.info/www/bejne/rXK2oYSDfL-EbZI

[@jellerommers2457]

In the meanwhile I have uploaded these stl's : www.thingiverse.com/thing:4841850/files

[@RatRatRattyRatRat]

Okay that's real cool, dunno what it's used for, but it's cool as heck

[@yojimblab]

the real MOST SATISFYING VIDEO EVERRRRRR

[@nikolastevic5758]

my jawdropped when i realized whats going on

[@EngineerNick]

I love this thank you for making the designs available :)

[@zombywoof5050]

The thumbnail lead me to believe these were a different kind of “joint designs”.

[@dudefrombelgium]

same

[@luke_fabis]

It was only a matter of time before somebody figured out spherical linkages and compliant mechanisms together. Really cool stuff.

[@Sharlequint]

The dude created a floating anchor point jesus

[@bluestonebest1893]

wait that amazing! so much applications are resolved with that. cars, planes, robots, prostesis there are endless applications to this. that's so perfect to see and to imagine.

[@ethanmiller3649]

There is no expressing how cool this is. Great engineering work!

[@linlomox]

I just happened to pop in here after watching videos of squirels. Cool mechanism. No idea how any of this works! great job!

[@celivalg]

squirrels? where?

[@jamesalewis]

This is actually amazing!

[@Jack-vo7yf]

Thank you greatly for your contribution to the field of compliant mechanisms. These would be extremely useful in nanoscopic stabilization! Thank you again for making this open access!

[@jellerommers2457]

Thank you! Cad files are now also open: www.thingiverse.com/thing:4841850/files

[@jimviau327]

One of the most interesting videos on YT.

[@denisa10]

That just looks unreal, thanks for sharing!

[@itze_]

This seems sooooo useful!

[@Sharpman76]

That's brilliant, it, like, perfectly reacts to any forces and torques put on that outer edge!

[@aurielklasovsky1435]

Best thing I've seen in a long while

[@AdredenGaming]

Seems like this would be a way to reduce the noise in certain systems. But I would need to look at it all more then few seconds here

[@ShounakKatyayan]

This is one of the coolest thing I have seen

[@acidset]

That's insane, thanks for the video

[@willi80636]

This is incredible! I'd love to see more about the design process and application of those joints.

[@willi80636]

@@clowns8421 Nobody asked for your troll opinion. Nobody.

[@atmn_clef]

ACTUAL MIND BLOWING, AMAZING ENGINEERING.

[@fireworm91]

Looking cool!!

[@pirobot668beta]

Would be a useful mounting for a macro-lens!

[@Bar0sky]

My jaw genuinely stayed dropped for the whole video

[@rtharmon454]

That's sooooo cool It took me a minute to realise that it stayed in place in one point

[@SnaptrixGaming]

Damn. That’s one hell of a way to smoke a joint !

[@illygah]

Hey, you're the fresh new 3Dprinted hall-effect joystick person!

[@jonathandellasantina7715]

There's something about this that's vaguely threatening.

[@ufffd]

It's the pointy bit

[@hadhamalnam]

@@ufffd for me its the fact that you physically cant move the tip, it almost looks like the thing is consciously resisting your attempts to move jt

[@simeon24]

Perhaps we too are compliant mechanisms who are restricted on a plane that we are not aware of. Slaves of some secret design!

[@L.K.48]

@@simeon24 huh... Perhaps they're coming to get you

[@florianbertram9451]

If you watched this video and did not like it you probably did not understand it. What a gem!

[@openlink9958]

thanks for remind me to do that!

[@anaunaga5471]

Thank you Kanye, very cool!

[@hyperfluff_folf]

Thats trippy, i like it

[@NickiRusin]

this is super cool!

[@aajpeter]

Taken to conclusion, absolutely SciFi

[@TheTruthfly]

First : what ?!? , Second : that can do some cool application ! , Last : yep really nice things

[@worksasintended4997]

Simply amazing!

[@minercraftal]

Nice idea! Second one is easier to understand, some cone triangles with different edge point connects together. First one seems more complex.

[@brendandor]

Looks like it could have applications in surgery robots potentially, and other scientific equipment requiring minute precise adjustments, but also good rom

[@jibster5903]

THAT'S ABSOLUTELY INSANE WOW

[@TheLordrain12]

Man, that's amazing!

[@microdesigns2000]

This is awesome. I wonder if a less expensive robot or end effector could be constructed using this design.

[@useitwice]

Very cool indeed!

[@SnowsLife]

I didnt see it until I did. And then my mind was blown.

[@thomasr1051]

Absolutely amazing

[@gauravmathur4940]

This is amazing 👍. It challenges basic understanding of phisical world

[@aepokkvulpex]

Freaky as hell and I love it

[@Veldaren]

This is mesmerizing

[@fabiovezzari2895]

No way...no wayyyy!! Hat off to you

[@jeffreygrose9971]

I wonder what applications this has in the real world! Seems like you could do some awesome stuff

[@MegaGaming11]

0:25 imagine that able to slide along a mechanism and somehow connected to a robot arm

[@SOBINTAXIDRIVER]

the chicken when i'm holding it

[@emilko62]

Excellent ingenuity

[@jaytee2395]

Well done !!! 👍👍👍

[@Abbychanb]

i dont know what this is, why i clicked it or why its in my feed...cool video

[@GtsAntoni1]

Mind. Blown.

[@joshlewis5065]

Duuuude thats sick!

[@The_Gabinator]

That's sick!

[@ZerstreuterProfessor]

How cool is that you are a genius

[@christophergreeley4880]

So cool!

[@omarghetti]

inspired me a lot

[@jbrownson]

Very cool, thanks for sharing

[@chairkun3095]

Finally, we have the technology of... Bird.

[@lephil3338]

this is amazing

[@DROSTraceurADD]

Amazing!

[@angeloyanke150]

Mesmerizing!

[@lno_onel4404]

Have no idea how that could possibly be used, but that is making me want a 3D printer.

[@fbussier80]

Disposable guide for precision needle insertion for brain surgery?

[@fbussier80]

Or would make a great tool for intra nasal surgeries (or injections)

[@quintintapia8742]

That is crazy!

[@Mouserzz]

incredible!

[@chrisparker8539]

That is awesome!!

[@DwarMeji]

By George! I think he's got it!

[@trampoline_shorts]

Wow, impressive

[@nikko7345]

wake up babe, new spherical flexure joint designs just dropped

[@andreagiudici926]

Mind blowing!!

[@coolman1601]

The first 10 seconds I was like But how are you going to smoke that??

[@daviddavid5880]

Whoa. That is cool

[@humanplace1962]

This is so cool

[@zetahurley294]

seems like you could use it for motion reduction, allowing working on very small circuits and stuff!

[@xXTheEpicDonutXx]

That felt good.

[@XBlueBeam]

Thats so cool

[@valdirian1514]

Perfect for laser pointers

[@charlesdahmital8095]

So, this is how a chicken keeps its beak in one spot.

[@jdmeesey]

3D printer nozzle that can tilt for better adhesion on steep angles 📈

[@trippleude6543]

Damn, I was questioning how this can be smoked but the I realized that this was not about this type of joint

[@dizekat]

The last one could be a good thing to apply to a 3D printer hot-end, with center of rotation placed at the nozzle tip. Like "flying extruder" on Delta printers, except for the entire hotend.

[@camilocastillon]

dude that's cool

[@DrBruh-jl5sg]

That first: thats how chicken's head works

[@oopsioded]

Me: " ok that video is edited " physics: " yo bro! whasss up?! "

[@kareongames]

i see a big potential with automotive suspention setups