Redesign of the platform-side actuation system for the Kendall Band interactive musical sculpture

Abstract

The Kendall Band is an interactive musical sculpture by Paul Matisse located within the MBTA's Kendall/MIT Train Station. The sculpture, installed in 1987, consists of three instruments, Kepler, Galileo, and two sets of bells known as Pythagoras, each operated by its own system of mechanisms and linkages, and "played" by passengers using handles located on each platform. The sculpture as a whole has ceased to function as a result of a series of mechanical failures. Repair needs outpaced the resources available to maintain the sculpture. The primary known failure points are located within the portion of the actuation system on the platform of the station. Several components within this current actuation system are prone to fracture and wear. A new actuation system has been designed with various features that serve to increase overall durability, including a kinematic coupling with a spring-loaded interface that decouples actuation above a torque threshold of 225 in-lbf. Additionally, the newly designed actuation system has been standardized across all three instruments to simplify maintenance of the sculpture by incorporating a modular plate that has connection points for each instrument. Preliminary load testing performed upon a simplified version of the coupling interface proved promising for the design, but further work is required to prepare the design for installation.