Final Project ”Automata” Design Brief

Client: Automata Toys

Target Consumer: Child between the ages of 5 and 12 years old.

Designer: __________________________

Problem Statement: A manufacturer located in Iowa wants to expand their current toy product portfolio to
reach children ages 5-12 years old. The manufacturer currently has 15% of the toy market
and wants to increase it 20%.

Design Statement: Design a toy that includes a mechanical system that will produce realistic motion of a
figure(s) or object(s) resulting from the rotation of an axle. The motion results in the
interaction or coordinated movement of at least two separate displayed objects.
Constraints:
1. The design of the system must include a wood box with following dimensions:
a. Top/bottom: 5in x 4in x 0.25in
b. Sides: 4in x 4in x 0.25in
c. Back: 4.5in x 4in x 0.25in

2. The mechanical system must be human powered.

3. The system must produce repetitive motion of figures or objects related to a theme agreed upon with the
teacher.

4. The assembled hand-operated toy must fit completely within a rectangular prism that measures 6 in. x 8
in. x 12 in. when in a static state.

5. The axle must pass through the wood box. Turning the axle must convert the rotational motion of the
axle to linear motion of objects outside of the wood box.

6. In addition to an axle, the mechanical system must include at least two cams. You may include
additional components, such as gears, levers and cranks, to create a more realistic motion, if desired.

7. The automata objects should display realistic motion of the real objects they represent.

8. A 3D solid model of the system must provide the ability to alter the nominal diameter of each cam
causing an automatic change in the scale of the cam. This requires that each cam incorporate parameter
variables.