Vine

Vine

A botanical tentacle and flora/fauna hybrid made for Kelly Knox, the Vine explores Kelly’s interest in the extraterrestrial.

An alien structure lies beneath verdant armour with 26 individual vertebrae allowing subtle, organic movement to curve, curl and caress, resulting in an otherworldly extension of the self.

This piece was commissioned by The National Museum of Scotland, Edinburgh and is on permanent display in the Biomedical Department.

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Movement of the Vine is enabled by the four degrees-of-freedom within the arm, controlled by force sensors embedded in Kelly’s shoes.

Using her toes, Kelly can flex four individual sections or combine two at a time to create dynamic curves that react in real-time, allowing Kelly precise control.

Project manager: Sophie de Oliveira Barata:
Concept creation, silicone sculptor and casting

Product designer: Dani Clode
Concept creation and design / mechanical engineering /material resourcing.

Multidisciplinary designer: Jason Taylor
Design / mechanical engineering / 3D modelling / rapid prototyping / CNC / lasercutting / vac forming.

Robotics engineer: Hugo Elias
Design / Build of Electronics

Photography by Omkaar Kotedia

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