Orbital State Machine
Analog Gyroscope
Cambridge, MA
MIT, Creative Computation
Instructor: Brandon Clifford
How can computation let us interact precisely with form?
This process deploys computational calibration of form to encompass a range of possible orientations. Based on the stabilizing principles behind a gyroscope, Orbital uses rotational motion to alter its center of mass, changing its orientation in space.
![](https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/7ff73f0b8ebc9e853b6166bf5122afb4029f5ae4426f746bdb3ae766c4b39c27/WebThumbnails_Orbital.jpg)
![](https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/6571ba1aa84659302a05cfdadfe44a3eafd22b6a7517978ff4f1f0f87874b89a/OrbitalHousing_01.jpg)
![](https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/b74aedf2641076c5cbed08e76a5d81a92f6e15dd4267c662e9ca66cb357dfb19/OrbitalHousing_03.jpg)
![](https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/a2ace23611ad75aa4e03d75240764c426fed8d17b25ffa66c31ae2ff67ed9d1d/OrbitalHousing_02.jpg)
![](https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/46464160731159907f988cd24ce53aff232da7d48e5375c142c60ec090fa1542/Web_OrbitalInteraction.gif)
![](https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/0bc9a1a64678df324069452a83594afb44bad36e03335c7ac49babfd61425cdf/Web_OrientationDiagram.jpg)
Interaction Demo
![](https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/3ac8a9688dd1967d58495dc8ac20565ad8e0c5a170213bdd805990650d59ab59/OrbitalMotion.jpg)
![](https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/c363ee2525fe7bbf1c40b69d0cea22e9df6f851b45b540621709794fad5d7734/Web_OrbitalSection_Loop.gif)
As the unevenly weighted toruses rotate, the center of mass of the assembly changes causing incremental change in orientation.
![](https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/0dc5ba24346a9d197ca606f2916e88f0212e629b2b41790bc76f15c248ed291e/Orbital_ColorTest_Hanging.jpg)
![](https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/12e94248a2e85f7aea4f399d9149e0415db5e30b829a78760127c8da89a07984/Web_SectionDiagram.jpg)