MoDynamics Test: Long (Falls off) Lariat Chain Physics mimics Exploratorium exhibit

One of my favorite exhibits at the mother of all science museums, the Exploratorium in San Francisco, is called the Lariat Chain as designed by Norman Tuck:
http://www.normantuck.com/catalogPages/lariat.html. Bizarre, unexpected wave patterns appear as users prod the kinetic sculpture.
In this quick test, the Bullet physics engine behind MoDynamics does a pretty amazing job of propagating the waves through a virtual chain.
In this example, I use a long chain, probably about 1/2 the length of the Tuck chain relative to the size of the spinning wheel. It works great, but the chain falls off about 3/4 through... I'm actually amazed it stayed on this long, because the chain swings wildly into z pretty early in the simulation. I'll put a track on the wheel for the next test. Please read more about the original exhibit at http://www.exploratorium.edu/xref/exhibits/lariat_chain.html

Видео MoDynamics Test: Long (Falls off) Lariat Chain Physics mimics Exploratorium exhibit канала Graham Johnson