Automata And Mechanical Toys Pdf Creator
GRADES 6 - 8, Social Studies, Science, EngineeringLesson OverviewCam toys (aka automata) use hand-powered mechanisms to create cyclical motions that animate a scene. Students design and create cam toy machines with moving objects/characters that symbolize abstract concepts and represent dynamic situations.The lesson is structured to follow the Engineering Design Process (EDP), a process widely used by designers in any discipline to tackle challenges.
While there are many ways that people solve problems, designers often opt to use the EDP because it offers a roadmap for the project journey and will help them work efficiently and effectively. The process requires that the designer first clearly Define the challenge, then Learn about and Explore existing solutions, before beginning the design stage. This understanding of the problem, combined with the Design step requirement of generating at least 3 different ideas, allows for a rich set of creative solutions to draw from in choosing a design direction. The designer is now ready to prototype the solution in the Create step. An important feature of the EDP is the expectation that the designer will build 2 or more prototypes after the direction is set. This is done by cycling through the Create and Observe/Improve steps a few times. It is recommended that students have an opportunity for at least 2 design-build-improve cycles.
When students feel they have to “get it right the first time” they are less willing to take risks and be creative. On the second and later times through the cycle, they can fix flaws and adopt successful ideas from classmates. Hopefully, the designer will have an opportunity to Reflect on the product they created and the process they followed, looking for learning habits and insights that will help in future challenges. ContextCreating physical objects can be an engaging and useful way for students to process their learning. Some physical models are directly representative of the academic content, such as a depiction of a sound wave, or a model of a cell.
Abstract concepts, like a balance of power, ecological interactions, or societal changes, are also well-suited to modeling. Students practice higher order thinking skills when creating metaphors and symbols for abstract concepts. Coming up with imagery for social, scientific, or other academic concepts pushes the student to research the topic and develop a deeper understanding of it. The addition of motion, as in the Cam Toy activity, can make the project even more engaging and lead to creative, entertaining products.Cams are rotating shapes that push on / rub against mechanical elements to create other motions.
One rotating shaft can power many cams, and each can create a different motion in its associated mechanical element. Students decide which of these motions is best for the specific concepts they want to represent. In this project, students design the cams and moving objects in Tinkercad for fabrication on a 3D printer or laser cutter. Backgrounds or other static objects can be designed in Tinkercad and fabricated in a variety of ways for a more elaborate Cam Toy machine.Challenge: Design and build a Cam Toy with motions and scenery that represent concepts related to the specified topic. Students may work in groups of 2 or 3. A Cam Toy base, rotating shaft, and a few cam designs are provided at this Tinkercad link. The base accommodates 2 motions.
Students can modify the models to make smaller or larger machines.Criteria:. Includes 2 characters/objects that move when the toy is operated. Possible motion types are:Up-downSpinSide-to-side. Includes 1 static object that is a background, piece of scenery, or other objects. The motions and scenery must represent concepts related to the specified topic.Constraints:. The 2 motions must be different. The same type of motion can be used twice if the 2 motions differ either in frequency or magnitude.
(For example, if there are 2 up-down motions 1 can have 2 rises/falls per cycle while the other has 1. For spinning, 1 can spin at a faster speed than the other. The appearance and motions of the characters and objects must communicate the intended concept.Student Product / Learning GoalsStudents will choose motions that express physical or abstract concepts. They will design and build a working cam toy that expresses these concepts as a representative model or metaphor. Research:Review the motions and mechanisms that are easily implemented in the Cam Toy. Show examples of the 3 motions that are simplest to build (up-down, spin, and side-to-side), An online search using the search term “student automata” will yield many videos. The Cabaret Mechanical Theater group in the UK has been creating fine wooden automata for decades.
Their site isPick a topic for the class and see that each student group has a concept to represent in their Cam Toy.2. Collect:Have students document their research on the automata, noting mechanisms and features that they found interesting or may be relevant to their topic. Students can keep notes on the things they learned or that intrigued them on an inspiration page such as a blog, Google Docs, a notebook, poster, etc. Design:Students work together to brainstorm ideas on how to represent the topic they are assigned using the mechanical motions commonly done in automata. Use the inspiration page as a reference and create a design that is simple enough to build while still being complex enough to communicate an idea.
Backgrounds, scenery and other static objects can be very helpful in communicating the idea. The design process is most effective when designers create at least 3 different ideas.Option A: draw designs on how the Cam Toy will look and/or function. Sketch a front view of the overall Cam Toy idea including the base, the mechanism pieces, characters, and background. It can be helpful to lay it out on graph paper to get the sizes correct.List the motions you expect to create and draw the appropriate cams.
Automata And Mechanical Toys
For the up-down motion, you need a circle cam with an off-center hole. For the spinning motion draw a circle cam with a centered hole. For a side-to-side motion, you need 2 circle cams with off-center holes. Make sure the D-shaped holes are reversedCreate models of the base and all mechanical parts on Tinkercad. Samples of the Cam Toy base and mechanism parts The next instructions will show you how to make them on your own. All dimensions for a basic toy are included in the videos here.
Vintage Mechanical Toys
If you want to design from a CAD drawing, you will find dimensioned drawings for all Cam Toy parts (Base, Various Cams, Rotating Handle, and Cam Followers). Option to reduce 3D printing time: Choose whether you will use wood dowels for the Cam Shafts and/or Cam follower shafts. Use ¼” wood dowels for the drive shaft and the cam followers. See video and/or the dimensioned drawing for a starter design. Students may want to modify this design to accommodate more mechanisms. Make mechanism parts (, ) See video and/or drawing for a starter design.
If using a wood dowel for the camshaft, then holes in cams should be circles, not “Ds”, and they will need to be glued on.Make the characters/objects and all scenery/props using craft materials or 3D printerAssemble and align all the parts and use PVC tubing to hold them in place Will create assembly video. Play with the Cam Toys! See if others can figure out what they mean before they are explained. Encourage students to share their creations and get feedback from peers.2. It is recommended that students have an opportunity for at least 2 design-build-improve cycles. When students feel they have to “get it right the first time” they are less willing to take risks and be creative.
On the second time through they can fix flaws and adopt successful ideas from classmates.3. Provide stopping points for the class where students can observe, evaluate, and document their design.4. Give students a chance to record their thoughts and progress as they work through product iteration cycles. This can serve as a formative assessment.5. Follow instructions in the Create Step as needed for the next iteration.