DWG-002 · BIOMIMETIC DESKWARE · RISD 2026
Pangolin Headphone Stand
A weight-activated stand that translates a pangolin’s defensive curl into an articulated mechanical gesture.
FIG 01 · ENCLOSED STATE
SEC 01
Brief概要
THE QUESTION
How can a headphone stand translate a pangolin’s defensive curl into a response to the object it holds?
Inspired by the pangolin's defensive curl, the stand uses headphone weight to activate a pulley-driven linkage. An articulated tail rises around the earcups. The prototype explores how that gesture can be expressed through rigid scales, a flexible tail, and two visible states.
COURSEFURNITURE DESIGN
THEMENON-HUMAN DESIGNS
TRIGGERHEADPHONE WEIGHT
PROCESSBIOMIMETICS · LINKAGE · PRINT
SEC 02
Biological Translation仿生转译
FIG 02 · REFERENCE
BEHAVIOR BEFORE FORM
The project translates how a pangolin protects itself—not what it looks like.
A pangolin curls vulnerable areas behind overlapping armor. The stand abstracts that sequence into a segmented surface that changes state around the headphones.
01 · OBSERVECURL INTO DEFENSE
02 · ABSTRACTLAYERED COVERAGE
03 · TRANSLATEARTICULATED TAIL
SEC 03
Weight-Activated Linkage重量触发
THE OBJECT BECOMES THE INPUT
Placing the headphones initiates the tail’s enclosing movement.
The headphones load a pulley-driven linkage inside the body, lifting the segmented tail into its enclosed state. Removing them releases the tail downward and returns the support to rest.
INPUTHEADPHONE WEIGHT
DRIVEPULLEY LINKAGE
OUTPUTTAIL LIFTS
RETURNRELEASED STATE
FIG 03 · RELEASED STATE
SEC 04
Articulated Armor活动甲片
RIGID COVERAGE · COMPLIANT MOVEMENT
A flexible tail carries interlocking scales through both states.
TPU 95A provides controlled movement while matte PLA scale modules form layered coverage. The PLA Metal body supplies the rigid structure and a darker metallic surface.
FIG 04 · ARMOR SURFACE
FIG 05 · UNDERSIDE
