Colibri is a wooden kinetic sculpture that simulates the motion of a hummingbird in flight. Every element of motion has been completely mechanized, from the beating wings to the flaring tail. Intricate systems of linkages and cams bring the sculpture to life with a continuous flow of meticulously timed articulations. As each mechanism has been linked to the next, Colibri cycles through its complete range of motions by the simple turn of a crank.


$99
 











Intriguing Mechanisms

Making a sculpture like Colibri reality takes no small amount of engineering and design. Built into the sculpture are a network of gears, hypocycloid reducers, cams, and linkages, all rigorously designed to deliver accurate motion in perfect time. With so much happening at once, deciding where to look can be a challenge.
 

Intricate Motion

Colibri's motions are unlike those of any other wooden sculpture. Every movement has been carefully optimized to be as life-like as possible. As Colibri hovers and flies, the smooth motions of its wings, tail, head, and body work together seamlessly to produce a beautiful and captivating visual sequence.
 

Organic Forms

Colibri's forms are designed to compliment its organic motions. As such, straight lines and geometric shapes have been kept to a minimum. Instead, Colibri is comprised primarily of curvature continuous splines that gently flex, bend, and taper, providing a fluid and organic aesthetic.
 

Driven by Nature

Colibri's motions were not simply based on artistic interpretations and best guesses. Slow motion videos of actual hummingbird flights were used as underlays to develop 3D animations whose data was in turn utilized to generate true-to-life cam profiles and linkages.

















Specifications


Size 20.4" h x 24.9" w x 25.5" d

Motion Hand Powered








Free Downloads

Colibri Sample Plans  

Colibri Sample DXF  

Colibri Sample STL  

The sample plans are a snippet of the purchased version. They contain a list of the tools needed, specifications for all required hardware, as well as samples of the wood patterns and assembly instructions.

The sample DXF and STL files can be used to test CAM software compatibility. For builders with CNC machines, the purchased version of the plans contains DXF and STL files for all wood patterns.
  Colibri Woodworking Plans

Woodworking plans are delivered digitally via email.
Plans are sold securely through PayPal and are delivered through Payloadz.

Plywood parts can be cut manually with printable patterns in PDF format, or they can be cut with a CNC machine using the included DXF or STL files.

Plans contain two PDF document sizes:
• 8.5" x 11" paper for instructions and small patterns
• 11" x 17" paper for large patterns

Note: Instructions for motorizing Colibri are not included with the plans. Click here for more info.

$99
 




Footer
home | store | info | tools | contact

Copyright © 2023 Derek Hugger. All rights reserved.