Boat
Boat is an interactive toy that responds to changes in the surrounding environment. A highly sensitive vibration sensor starts the movement, so the toy can be activated by sound or gesture instead of a mechanical switch. The main drive shaft carries a concave directional track, and the parts inside the groove shift by gravity and push the toy forward. The motion follows the crawling pattern of arthropods, whose spine is echoed by the main axis. All modeling, transmission parts and hardware are made by 3D printing, so complex structures are formed without assembly.
Boat Functional Sculpture by Mingxi Li has been featured as an innovative example of communication design by the A' Design Award & Competition. Boat Functional Sculpture earned the Bronze A' Design Award in Fine Arts and Art Installation Design in 2022. The A' Fine Arts and Art Installation Design Award is an international, meritocratic, just and fair design competition which recognizes superior design of sculptures, paintings, installations, photographs, drawings, mixed media works, ceramics, art objects, craftworks and more.
