NEXUS Rig
Tactical Exoskeleton — Feature Film
- CATEGORY
- Film
- CLIENT
- UNDISCLOSED PRODUCTION
- ROLE
- Lead Mechanical Designer, Fabrication Liaison
- DURATION
- 14 WEEKS
NEXUS Rig was commissioned as the primary suit system for a protagonist in a classified feature production. The brief demanded a silhouette that read as engineered reality — not costume — under full IMAX close-up scrutiny. Every surface had to justify itself mechanically.
The design derives from actual load-bearing exoskeleton research: compliant joints at the hip and shoulder allow passive energy return across the gait cycle. Panel geometry follows anthropometric data for the specific performer, then stress-simulated at 3x body weight to ensure fabrication-safe wall thicknesses throughout.
Fabrication documentation included full GD&T callouts, assembly sequence guides, and finish specifications. The production fabrication team received everything needed to build from drawings alone — no interpretation required.
- TOTAL WEIGHT
- 42 kg (full assembly)
- ARTICULATION
- 24 degrees of freedom
- SCALE
- 1:1 — fabrication-ready
- PRIMARY MATERIAL
- Aluminum 6061-T6
- SECONDARY
- UHMWPE plate, TPU padding
- FINISH
- Type III anodized, matte
- OUTPUT FORMAT
- STEP, IGES, PDF drawings
- DELIVERABLES
- 380 fabrication files
Surveyed 40+ real exoskeleton systems across medical, military, and industrial sectors. Identified joint strategies (series elastic actuator, passive carbon spring, cable-driven) and translated relevant mechanical logic into cinematic proportion.
Generated 60 thumbnail sketches across three distinct form languages. Director selected a hybrid: industrial frame with biological undercurrent. Proportion locked at week 3 via 1:10 scale 3D print review.
Full parametric model built in SolidWorks. Each sub-assembly modeled independently: thoracic frame, pauldron articulation, forearm module, lower-limb drive train. Clash detection run at every stage.
Complete drawing package produced — 380 files covering every manufactured component. Tolerance stack-up analysis confirmed fit across the full assembly. GD&T callouts specified to workshop-standard.