Lissajous Pendulum

grabcad

This project in Autodesk Inventor 2014 features a dynamic simulation where a pendulum oscillates for 9.81 seconds solely due to gravitational force, with wire-like bicycle spokes acting as support. The pendulum's motion can be measured along two perpendicular axes: longitudinal (from the axle-spacer part axis) and transversal (from the link part's hole crossing). Initiating at a non-vertical inclination, the pendulum's path forms a Lissajous curve due to disparate lengths in both directions. The curve is closed only when oscillation frequencies are in specific rational ratios. You can download .iam and .ipt files to explore this simulation further in Inventor, altering settings as desired. A creative alternative involves replacing the pendulum's weight with a sand-filled funnel, causing the Lissajous curve to appear on the horizontal plate as a sand streak.