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A wacky waving tube guy of your very own Dust Mite Cleaner Motor
By William Gurstelle | Published Aug 30, 2016 9:45 PM EDT
Twenty years ago, the wacky, waving inflatable tube—also known as a sky puppet or air dancer—made its debut as a decoration at the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta. Since then, it’s become most famous as an advertising gimmick at used-car lots.
Goofiness aside, there’s a lot of science going on inside that tube. In 1883, British scientist Osborne Reynolds developed a theory that predicted how fluids, such as water or gas, would flow through pipes and ducts based on the ratio of speed to viscosity. Blow air through the flexible tube of a sky puppet, and it will flow smoothly, up to a certain point. When the air speed increases enough, the flow becomes turbulent and chaotic, turning the cylinder into a dancing decoration.
Once you’ve found the ideal tube dimensions to achieve turbulent air flow, you can craft your own sky puppet. Popular Science‘s version is 5 feet tall, and it takes only an afternoon to build.
This article was originally published in the September/October 2016 issue of Popular Science, under the title “Annoy Coworkers with This DIY Sky Puppet.”
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