The Marching Illini
PHASE ONE: MECHANICAL THEATER
Teams used design thinking to synthesize a hand cranked automata toy which imitated the motion of living things, told stories or interacted with their environment. These mechanisms were targeted toward attendees of Engineering Open House.
OBJECTIVE
Design, build, test and present a handcranked “automaton” designed to suit the needs of someone attending the Engineering Open House. “Automata” here refers to mechanical toys that are usually hand-cranked and which feature mechanisms that imitate the movement of a living creature to fascinate their users or viewers. Automata are supposed to be enjoyable artifacts with educational, fun, artistic, social, thought-provoking and/or functional purposes for people of all ages.
PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS
The automaton must be handcranked, and include at least one working linkage mechanism as well as a working gear or cam mechanism, and possess the materials and aesthetics suitable for its function. The automaton (excluding the cranking lever and any extendable features, such as wings) must fit within a 1 cubic foot volume. These size constraints are to ensure that the automata will fit on the walker and not overload the motor in Part 2. For this project, aim for quality over size. Be aware that the cranking mechanism will be changed over to a motor for Part 2 of the project, so consider how to design the mechanism to simplify conversion.
DESIGN
In Part 1, the interface between the user and the design should be at the center of the design process.
The purpose of an automaton is not to make a mechanical copy of reality. Instead, builders of automata want to evoke emotions, they want to make us dream. A successful automaton does not try to hide its internal mechanisms. For the layman, it’s hard to conceive how one simple twist of a hand crank can launch so many different movements at often unpredictable time intervals. The combination of gears, linkages, wheels and wires, as well as the sounds they make, are an important part of the whole. Automata should not be needlessly complex and preferably not feature elaborate mechanisms. The makers of automata are not mocking technology, they are celebrating it.