Project Intent

Design a functional automata that dynamically tells a story while simultaneously encouraging continuous handle turning by the user. This interactive experience should engage participants, drawing them into a narrative that unfolds with each rotation of the handle.

Skills

Design Visualization
Adobe Illustrator
Fusion 360
3D printing
Sewing

Design Goals

Create a mechanism system without gears

An automata with an engaging and interactive story

One central handle to control whole mechanism

Inspiration

Inspired by the pop culture saying of “Making Biscuits” when a cat is kneading.

For a more playful automata, having a bright colorful almost like cake feel to the aesthetic for the box.

For the interactive element of the automata, having the cat kneading “dough” almost as if the cat is the baker to play on the pop culture saying.

Ideation

Prototyping

Prototype 1 showed that once the second paw and mechanism was added, it became unstable, which caused the movement to be unpredictable.

3

Finding success with prototype 2, created prototype 3 to flush out proportions of box to mechanisms.

2

With prototype 2, approached and research different mechanisms, and tested out a crankshaft mechanism.

1

High Fidelity Model

To ensure aesthetics, and mechanisms work properly, created a prototype, using laser cut basswood. This model showed flaws in the design that was then changed for the final. This change being to have the cat have a solid body instead of the current design.