Image Mill from ArtPrize 2009

thingiverse

The Image Mill, winner of the sustainability award at ArtPrize 2009, is a marvel on display outside the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum. Videos documenting its installation and operation can be viewed here: https://vimeo.com/6650510, https://vimeo.com/15091840. This model is not printable in its original form due to size constraints; the Image Mill measures 1.5 meters in diameter and was constructed from steel, with some parts designed for purchase (gears) that were not accurately represented in the STL file. The STL provided is a scaled-down version, 100x smaller, intended solely for visualization purposes. If there's sufficient interest, I'll create a printable version. I conceptualized both the waterwheel and operating mechanism as part of my URECA project at Nanyang Technological University. The stand, sprout, and image plates used in the actual sculpture were designed by others, so I don't have copyright permissions to reproduce them here. Unfortunately, I also lack personal photos of the original artwork; however, numerous images are available for viewing. Design Process: This 3D model was created using QCAD software, with the design being extruded into a 3D form in Blender. The base waterwheel design was sourced from The Waterwheel Factory.