Wyrd Elephant Compliant Mechanism STEM Model
Design preview. Rendered from the file, not a photo.
This model is not currently offered as a verified ready to buy print.
What it does
- Single-piece 3D-printable compliant mechanism with hidden flexible joints
- Demonstrates rotational motion without translation, a key engineering principle
- Designed by BYU Compliant Mechanisms Research lab as an educational tool
- Disguised animal form makes complex mechanics engaging and tactile
- Perfect for engineering students, makers, and mechanism enthusiasts
The Wyrd Elephant is a compliant mechanism that creates motion similar to a double parallel linkage, all from a single printed part. Named after the ancestral word for "weird," this mechanism demonstrates how flexible structures can produce precise, constrained motion without traditional hinges or pins. The coupler point rotates in place without translating, despite being completely unconstrained, a remarkable feat of mechanical design.
Developed by the BYU Compliant Mechanisms Research (CMR) group, this model integrates sophisticated engineering principles into an intuitive animal form. It's an excellent educational tool for understanding how compliant mechanisms can be used to achieve specific desired motions in a single, unified structure.
Simply print, remove from the build plate, and manipulate to observe the elegant motion. This hands-on model helps students and engineers grasp the fundamentals of compliant mechanism design and mechanical advantage.
20k downloads in the maker community. That is interest in the design on the site it came from, not our sales.
What you get
- This design prints as one piece.
- Nothing else to print or buy for this to work.
What it is made of
Designs like this print well in PLA. Compare the materials.
Printed plastic is strong for its size, but it is not metal. We have not load tested this design, so we do not publish a weight rating. Keep it out of a hot car and away from open flame.
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Who made this design
Designed by BYU_CMR. We did not draw it.
Shared under Creative Commons, credit required. See the original design