Ambiguous Project: Cat / Heart

thingiverse

Ambiguous Cylinder: Feline Form / Heartbeat Pantea Ferdosian George Mason University – MATH 401 Math Through 3D Printing October 6, 2019 For this assignment, we explored the workings of the ambiguous cylinder. We discovered that mirror symmetry is essential to its creation. Though it may seem impossible, these objects become visible due to human optical illusions. Various factors influence our perception, including the angle at which we view them and the light's projected angle. The article by Sugihara explains the mathematical principles behind this phenomenon beautifully. I used his article as a guide for creating my own object. Using Mathematica, I designed my cylinder by graphing the intertwined shapes required for printing. Then, I manipulated these functions to create a 3D model, ensuring that it accurately represented what I intended. Finally, with the ParametricPlot3D command, I created a cylinder (as shown in my code NB file). I printed my cylinder using the Ultimaker Printer, which proved to be somewhat inconvenient due to its lengthy printing time. Fortunately, no supports were needed since the curves on its base provided sufficient stability. My print took approximately 5 hours to complete. Unfortunately, I do not currently have access to my print for uploading a picture, but I will do so as soon as possible.