Coily,
The Lamp

A continuum robot, disguised as a lamp:
exploring movements and connections

Duration
February- May 2025 (3 months)

Skills
Mechanical Prototyping, CAD modeling (SolidWorks), IDE Prototyping, 3D printing

Materials
Springs, PLA & PETG (3D printing), fishing lines, MG996R motors, PVC tubing, LED, acrylic, screws



Visitors interacting with Coily, the Lamp at the 2026 RISD Grad Show



Our everyday environments are filled with functional objects that make our lives work, but often remain emotionally and perceptually invisible until the moment needed.  By introducing movements to static objects, animating them, we don’t just perceive objects as tools, but begin to treat them as “living entities”. This cognitive shift encourages us to interpret the objects’ “states” and “feelings”, evoking a more profound level of representation and remembrance.(Bainbridge, Dilks, & Baker, 2019)

This made me wonder:
How does our relationship with objects change when they begin to exhibit a sense of presence?
"Objects With Life" was my master's thesis at the Rhode Island School of Design, exploring what happens when the static objects in our domestic spaces begin to move. My work looks at how movement can suggest intention, emotion, or personality — becoming a form of communication that creates cues through behavior rather than demand.


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