Isoaxis
| Isoaxis | |
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| Faces | 60 |
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The IsoAxis (US 3302321) is a geometric net consisting of sixty isosceles triangles that, when scored and folded, forms a movable three-dimensional ring capable of continuous inversion. The structure serves as the geometric basis for a class of dynamic polyhedra known as kaleidocycles. It was discovered by Wallace Walker in 1958 during a project focused on developing structural configurations for paper.
Description and mechanics
The IsoAxis net is composed of a two-dimensional grid of isosceles right triangles. When the ends of the folded strip are joined, it creates a flexible closed-loop mechanism. The structure can undergo a continuous turning motion around its center axis, cycling through different geometric configurations. Diagrams and assembly instructions for the mechanism are documented in geometric literature.
A detailed guide on constructing the Isoaxis is available in Shaping Space: Exploring Polyhedra in Nature, Art, and the Geometrical Imagination. [1]
History
Following his initial design, Walker collaborated with mathematician Doris Schattschneider to analyze and catalog variations of the mechanism. This research resulted in the development of an entire family of related dynamic polyhedra, including hexagonal, starred, oblique, and square kaleidocycles. The term "kaleidocycle" was coined to describe these three-dimensional forms, combining the Greek words for "beautiful", "form", and "ring" or "circle".[2]
Schattschneider's work mathematically mapped the periodic tessellations of Dutch artist M. C. Escher onto the deformable surfaces of the IsoAxis grid.[2][3] While linked chain structures made of rigid tetrahedra had been studied previously, Walker's design derived a fully rotational three-dimensional mechanism from a single, flat, continuous grid sheet via its diagonal scores.
In structural origami literature, the IsoAxis is studied alongside other rigid and flexible tessellations, such as the Miura ori, due to its distinct kinematic properties.
References
- ↑ Shaping Space: Exploring Polyhedra in Nature, Art, and the Geometrical Imagination. United Kingdom: Springer New York. 2013. ISBN 9780387927145. Search this book on
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Schattschneider, Doris; Walker, Wallace (1977). M.C. Escher Kaleidocycles. Taschen. ISBN 978-0906212288. Search this book on
- ↑ "Book Review: Art Meets Math in 'Kaleidocycles'". The Los Angeles Times. May 27, 1988.
External links
- IsoAxis
- The kaleidohedron from the IsoAxis grid
- https://web.archive.org/web/20090123112151/http://www.miura-ori.com/English/e-index.html
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