Task

The task of this project was to design and produce an interlocking system composed of two-dimensional elements. These elements should be capable of being combined with similar, or ideally identical, elements to form three-dimensional structures. The assembly of these structures must be achieved without the use of any additional technical aids, relying solely on the method of interlocking and/or meshing the individual components together. The base shape for our system is a truncated octahedron. Additionally, we will cut these elements out of MDF (Medium-Density Fiberboard) to ensure durability and ease of fabrication.

Process

My idea was to use only the hexagonal part of the truncated octahedron and combine them with additional connection pieces. I placed the slots for the connections at the corners of the hexagon to create a more open structure. To save material, I planned to place the connection pieces inside the hexagon and experimented with various arrangements to maximize the number of pieces per sheet. In the end, I realized that cutting three connection pieces from each hexagon would be more than enough. In my first attempt, I made the slots too big, so they didn't fit tightly. In the second attempt, I adjusted the slot size, and everything worked perfectly.

To stack multiple shapes together, you just need to insert a connection piece into the empty slot, but this time in the opposite direction. This method allows you to stack an unlimited number of shapes seamlessly.

Initially, I had completed my interlocking system, but I aimed to create a shape with a fully enclosed shell. To achieve this, I designed squares to fill the holes. However, I soon realized that the existing connection pieces would not work with the squares due to their different angles. Consequently, I had to create new connection pieces. Unfortunately, this time I could not integrate them inside the square to conserve materials.

Final result

I had additional time to refine my interlocking system, so I decided to integrate the shell into the full system. I aimed to cover only the outer part of the system with squares, as the structure was already stable enough without them and I wanted to minimize material waste. To achieve this, I introduced a fifth component designed to connect two hexagons with a square. This involved combining the initial connection pieces for the hexagons with two pieces intended for the squares.

All components

Conclusion

I really enjoyed working on this project, especially as it was my first time using Rhino. In this class, I learned a lot about the program. Im glad everything worked pretty fast, allowing me to experiment a lot more with the possibilities of my interlocking system.