2DOF Scissor Mechanism

Completed: May 2025

Submitted to the SCI-6478 (Informal Robotics) graduate course taught by Prof. Chuck Hoberman at Harvard University.

Description:

Inspired by Chuck Hoberman's famous expanding sphere, this mechanism reimagines the scissor linkage, but with an additional degree of freedom. Rotating hinges allow the links to collapse as they normally would, as well as bend on an additional orthogonal axis. Two sets are attached to each other to constrain the bend, and the curvature is uniquely defined by the ratio of these two lengths.

This mechanism has potential use for robot arms or joints which need an additional degree of freedom.

The video below depicts another version of a 2DOF scissor linkage which utilizes a linear shear instead.