Week 1 Modular Structure: Fish Lamp (Angela Zhang & Huaze Shao)

In this assignment, we use fish shape modules made of brown paper to create a self-standing lamp. In Chinese culture, fish is a symbol of luck, wealth, and happiness. We chose to make our modules into fish shapes because we wanted to start this new semester with a good wish. Since we were new to Rhino 7, the laser cutting machine, as well as the whole process of 3D modeling, we faced lots of challenges. Fortunately, we got over the difficulties. I felt really thankful for our professor's help and my teammate Huaze's hard works. If you are interested in this project, you could keep reading to see what steps we have took to make the final product.

Steps:

1. Ideas / Inspiration

2. Sketches

3. CAD Design / 3D Printing / Test Prototypes

4. Final Structure

5. Add A Light Bulb / Reflection

• 0.35 mm Brown Paper

• 6 Paper Clips

• Plastic Strings

• A Light Bulb

• Softwares: Rhino 7, Adobe Ilustrator

• Laser Cutting Machine

On Monday's class, we started brainstorming the module we would use in our design. We have thought about recycle bin, rainbow, sakura, bones, and fish.

• Recycle Bin: When we were brainstorming, we looked around the class room, and saw the recycle bin right near us. The arrows on it seemed to be some interesting geometric shapes for us to think about.

• Rainbow: It was an easy shape with lots of possibilities. If we could use different colors, using rainbows as modules would make this assignment to look cool.

• Sakura: The petal of the most common sakura drawings usually consisted with lines on it. By cutting through these lines, we could use them as a connection part to connect each one together,

• Bones: After looking at the providing examples and the materials that we could use, the brown paper reminded me of those bones that would exist in cartoon as dog food.

• Fish: Firstly, the brown paper's color also reminded me of roasted fish as well as Taiyaki which is a kind of Japanese desert that is brown and in fish shape. Moreover, fish has a good meaning in Chinese culture, and is widely used in some traditional artworks such as paper cuts that could be stick on windows.

Finally, we decided to go with the fish idea because we thought it is not only special and meaningful, but also applicable because fish eye, fish tail, and fish mouth were all good spots for connection.

The first picture was drew before we have chosen the fish shape. We tried to sketch all our ideas down.

After deciding to make the fish modules, we start to think about the shape of the fish, we have drew several samples including round fish, olive fish with triangle tail, triangle fish with triangle tail, triangle fish with curve edges, fish with fins.etc.

Finally, we decided to use the olive shape fish with triangle tail. This is because we realized that when many modules are putting together, this kind of shape is the most classical shape of fish and therefore is more easily to be recognized bu others. If we use the triangle shape fish, they look more like arrows when they are piling up together.

Before writing to this step, I thought I should separate the CAD Design part and the Test Prototypes part into two steps. However, when I started writing, I realized that the two part were connected and I could not separate them. The basic step I went through was like a continued cycle: design, print, built, revise design, print, built, revise design, print, built...

• Paper Prototype

After sketching out the fish's shape, I tried to draw and cut some of them from a normal paper and form a standing circle. The problem we encountered was how could we build the structure upward. Since the normal paper was too soft and easy to break, we decided to draw the fish on computer and try to build the structure using harder materials.

• CAD Design 1

We drew a 10cm length and 6cm width fish in Rhino 7 and tried to print it on brown paper.

• Brown Paper Prototype 1

After having some of our modules on hand, we examined the structure. We realized that instead of letting the fish being formed horizontally, let them formed vertically could help the structure to both stand and grow. We used a paper clip to hold the four fish's eyes together and therefore forming a firm top. Then, we connected the fish's tails as legs of the structure to stand. When it only had two layers, the structure stood well. In our imagine, we would use some harder materials and connect several layers of fish while on the last layer using the fish's tails to connect so the structure will firmly stand.

• CAD Design 2

After realizing the requirement is to have about 50 modules, we decide to have three fish instead of four fish on the top, and form about four layers so the total number of modules we need would become 66 which is a lucky number in Chinese culture. Hoping to make sure the fish stand while there is only 3 fish on the top, we decided to make the fish longer changing the length from 10cm to 12cm. In addition, to make the fish look more beautiful and complicated, we drew curves as fish scales. The fish scale will not be cut through but as decorations. We also modified the connection lines on the fish tails from three to four.

• Polycarbonate Paper Prototype

Hoping the fish would stand more firmly, we choose polycarbonate paper this time to print our fish. However, when we try to build the structure, we failed. We realized that the material is too hard and cannot be bent into the shape we want. The connection parts are easily falling apart. Therefore, we decide to go back to the brown paper.

• Brown Paper Prototype 2

We realized that the brown paper fish modules could stand. However, it still do not stand as well as our first prototype. Maybe we should go back to the length and top numbers of prototype 1.

• CAD Design 3

We make the fish 10cm with three lines on its tails again. We also make its outline curved more smoothly.

• Brown Paper Prototype 3

We still failed. When the structure only have two layers, everything is fine, but when it has three layers, the vertical standing structure collapse. Moreover, at this point, we have already print a lot of fish and my teammate told me she had to leave for a while. What should I do? I collected all the fish we have printed and try to figure out some methods.

It was clear that the problem was that the structure was not strong enough to stand and I modified it through the following steps:

• Increased the top part from four fish to five fish. Since the distance between each fish has decreased, the fish could connect to each other more easily.

• Instead of letting the fish only form vertical connections and had horizontal connections at the last layer, I added horizontal connection between each vertical layers.

• Since there now existed both vertical and horizontal connection in each layer, I realized that having three lines on the fish tails was not enough. Therefore, I reused the long fish with four lines on their tails from brown paper prototype 2 as top so they could connect more fish.

• Lastly, I figured out that using the connected tails as base is not that strong. As result, I turned the fish in the last layer up side down making their head connected together by paper clips. By creating a base that was larger and flatter, our fish could finally stand.

After finishing the structure, I showed my work to professor Garcia asking for his advice. He thought it could become an interesting hanging structure as it seemed like some kinds of lamp. I found his advice really inspiring. Firstly, lamp is also a symbol of good wishes in many cultures which is consistent with fish in Chinese culture. Moreover, the light may come through the fish scale which is very beautiful. Lastly, the structure may also create flower like shadows if there is a light bulb in it. Fortunately, I found a light bulb in the Fabrication Lab and really made my work into a fish lamp under professor's help. I really love the final outcome.

From this experience, we learned about how to use Rhino 7 to paint 2D designs and how to use laser cut with various powers. Moreover, we are starting to view things in the 3D perspective. I really enjoy the process of experimenting and I am so happy to have this final product. For future design, we can find ways to utilize more pieces to our design, make it grow, and improve the whole structure to be larger and stabler.