The Children’s University is entering its final stage. As part of the lecture ‘Building bridges like Leonardo da Vinci’, Professor Dr.-Ing. Peter Kisters, Professor of Mechanical Engineering – specialising in product design – explains to the children how the ‘Leonardo Bridge’ is constructed.
“I know how to construct very light bridges which can be easily transported from one place to another, and with the help of which it is often possible to pursue the enemy and put them to flight. These bridges are very safe, fire-resistant and can withstand being submerged in water. They can be easily assembled and dismantled.”
This is how the Italian artist and inventor Leonardo da Vinci (1452–1519) described his self-supporting bridge design, which is assembled from identical wooden components. The bridge sections are joined in such a way that no fasteners such as dowels, screws, nails or ropes are required. The construction principle utilises the so-called ‘self-locking mechanism’, whereby the system becomes more secure under load. But what is this and how does it work? This phenomenon and other everyday principles of mechanics underpinning the construction of Leonardo’s bridges will be demonstrated and explained using a model.
The event will take place on 5 February 2020 from 5.15 pm to 6.00 pm at the Kamp-Lintfort campus of Rhein-Waal University of Applied Sciences, Friedrich-Heinrich-Allee 25, 47475 Kamp-Lintfort, in the Lecture Theatre Centre, Building 01, Audimax. Admission is free and no registration is required.
Wooden construction kits for Leonardo bridges will also be available at the 2020 State Garden Show in Kamp-Lintfort, allowing children to test their engineering skills in a fun way.
