When last did shelves get an upgrade?

My goal was to create a shelving solution which allowed items to be accessible one moment and out of the way the next. I also wanted it to invite participation, for the user to reconsider the lowly Horizontal Surface as a geometrical phenomenon deserving appreciation. I wanted movement.

So, Orbit was born.

Actually, it was a lot messier than that. I went through several counterbalancing prototypes which all worked in some way but not in others. Weight adjustment was cumbersome, too little or too much friction, too hard to fixture for milling.

The final result is a rotating pair of shelves which are connected to each other and to the wall via a timing belt and pulleys. No matter how I turn them, they stay horizontal.

They’re made from anodized aluminum and a combination of hardwoods – bloodwood, poplar, and oak.

I presented this poster and paper at the 2018 International Symposium on Academic Makerspaces, which brings together lab managers and maker enthusiasts from all over.