Due to COVID-19, I was not able to come back to campus this semester. I also did not have access to a laser-cutter or 3D printer. As such, I opted to use LEGOs to create my mechanism. One of the major advantages of using LEGOs is the ease-of-use. They are simple to understand and allow for rapid prototyping. Furthermore, pieces can easily be swapped out, making any fine-tuning and adjustments a breeze (provided you have the correct pieces).

L1 = LEGO Beam 15 = 4.7 inches

L2 = LEGO Beam 9 = 2.8 inches

L3 = LEGO Beam 13 = 4.1 inches

L4 = LEGO Bream 5 = 1.6 inches

With regard to dimensioning, I actually tested varying links lengths manually to see which rotated smoothly based upon the pieces I had. I settled upon the dimensions listed above. An image of my preliminary mechanism has been included below. Note that it was mounted to a holding system and was initially powered by turning a gear located behind the mechanism.

Here is a video of the preliminary mechanism in action:

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