So, jumping off from the exercise in class I decided to do some more experimenting with the idea of tentacle motion for Assignment 1. Here are three simple experiments and approaches toward finding good materials, designs and mechanisms for tentacle movement.

Experiment 1:

Connected System of Discs – This first experiment was the least effective, I think it was hampered by materials and sizing. Ideally it would have been made with bike cable instead of plastic tubing, which seems to create too much resistance for good tentacle movement. Thus this attempt was abandoned.

Experiment 2:

Ribbed Plastic Tubing with Filament Cables – This experiment worked a little better. Pulling the sewn in filament would create a nice curling tentacle motion, but there was still a lot of resistance on the cable hampering fluidity, plus a lack of ability to spring back.

Experiment 3:

Plastic Sheet Tentacle with Spine and Filament Cables – This attempt proved most successful at getting some interesting tentacle movement when one or the other filament cables were pulled. The laser cut spine brackets decreased resistance on the filament and the plastic sheet body gave the spring back that gave the tentacle a greater range of motion.