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MIXED · ROBOTICS — PROJECT 01

TransfoRim

A real-time, terrain-adaptive wheel that transforms its shape depending on the surface it travels on

Graduate project · 9 months · Goldsmiths, 2025

ROLE

Solo designer, researcher, fabricator

DURATION

9 months, Goldsmiths

OUTCOME

Working prototype, exhibited

MATERIALS

Wood, Carbon fibre, 3D print,Metal, Arduino

THE BRIEF

The wheel is one of the first products ever designed — which is exactly what drew me to it. It has gone through countless material and manufacturing updates over thousands of years, but the core concept has stayed constant, making it a rare example of a design that has stayed both classic and successful.

That raised an obvious question: what's next for wheels? I spent 9 months on it. The starting point was identifying three real problems — wheels are restricted to a narrow range of terrain, building a specialised wheel for every surface is costly, and there's no fast way to adapt a wheel when the terrain changes mid-journey.

THE MECHANISM — TWO STRUCTURES, TWO HISTORIES

After researching and prototyping extensively, the final mechanism combines two structures from completely different fields — one from a children's toy, one from 19th-century mechanical engineering.

APPLICATIONS

A terrain-adaptive wheel isn't just a thought experiment — there are real contexts where this problem matters today:

Wheelchair accessibility across mixed indoor and outdoor terrain

Military vehicles operating across unpredictable ground conditions

Exploration of undiscovered or hard-to-reach terrain on Earth

Space exploration, where a single rover must handle unknown surfaces

An expanding, contracting structure patented by Chuck Hoberman, used across toys, architecture, and furniture. Its flexibility and sturdiness made it the right starting point for grip on uneven terrain.

Built from laser-cut MDF arms bending at a 105° angle, 12 pairs hinged together with 3D-printed carbon-fibre joints — holding the structure exactly where needed while allowing smooth expansion and contraction.

STRUCTURE 1

Inspired by the Hoberman Sphere

A self-locking expanding structure documented in 507 Mechanical Movements (1868) — part of mechanical engineering's long-standing knowledge bank, originally used in safe and locker mechanisms.

3D printed in carbon fibre, with every part segregated and printed individually for structural stability. Bearings reduce friction and smooth the movement.

STRUCTURE 2

Inspired by a bank lock mechanism

WHAT EACH STRUCTURE DOES

Structure 1 — grip and protection

Provides grip on uneven, rocky terrain — the adjustable spikes expand and contract just enough to grip and drive the wheel forward. It adds sturdiness when stationary on smooth ground, and its geometry prevents gravel and debris from getting lodged in the wheel.

Structure 2 — smooth motion and structure

Provides smooth, uninterrupted movement on even terrain — the consecutive arcs forming a circle reduce friction and keep the wheel in motion. It sits between two layers of Structure 1, acting as the backbone and axis of the whole design, and houses the motors and controls for both structures at its centre.