r/mechanical_gifs • u/pricklypearbear15 • Aug 27 '26

Built a machine to graph the sinusoidal function based on the height of a point on a wheel.

Made this as an educational tool to better explain the origins of the sinusoidal shape. I break it down further in a video here: https://youtu.be/gi0L5peaPMA?si=SJvG-tKV_iNL6_l7

324 Upvotes

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22

u/dbmonkey Aug 27 '26

Nice! I think the reason it results in a visibly imperfect sine wave is that the upper string advancing the vertical gantry is not horizontal causing the gantry to rotate. Also the timing of the two wheels seems slightly offset. Overall, looks great!

3

u/pricklypearbear15 Aug 28 '26

You are definitely correct. I'm sure they aren't the only imperfections either!

2

u/Thelastreddditor Sep 02 '26

Wholesome chaos. Instant mood boost.