Hoberman sphere
A Hoberman sphere is a kinetic structure patented by
Description
A Hoberman sphere typically consists of six great circles corresponding to the edges of an icosidodecahedron. The Hoberman sphere can be unfolded by allowing certain members to spread apart. The operation of each joint is linked to all the others in a scissors mechanism like those used to mount pantograph mirrors, or how a folding chair operates. In larger models, this can be accomplished by feeding out a string or cable instead.
The largest existing Hoberman sphere is in the
An earlier, similar but slightly smaller Hoberman sphere is in the atrium of Liberty Science Center in Jersey City, New Jersey. The 700-pound (320 kg) sphere, when fully expanded, measures 18 feet (5.5 m) in diameter.[2]
In 1993 a smaller geodesic sphere was installed at the Swiss Science Center Technorama in Winterthur, Switzerland.[3]
See also
References
- ^ "Expanding Sphere (Estonia)". Hoberman: transformable design. Hoberman Associates, Inc. Archived from the original on 11 March 2015. Retrieved 2014-05-15.
- ^ "Hoberman Sphere". Liberty Science Center. Archived from the original on 25 March 2017. Retrieved 25 March 2017.
- ^ "History". hoberman.com. Hobermann Associates, Inc. Archived from the original on 20 December 2016. Retrieved 13 December 2016.
Further reading
- Greg Lynn (2014), Expanding sphere, Canadian Centre for Architecture