2.GATHERING PERTINENT INFORMATION - A-Division-2021-2022-Odd/Repo-03 GitHub Wiki
Introduction
Designing and making a kinematic art model covers a wide range of technical engineering skills. It can be built using various materials like; metal, wood, acrylic sheets, etc... These are also known as automata or mechanical toys, which are broadly used for analyzing motion, decorative purposes, and fun toys. kinematic arts are marvellous machines that use mechanical processes which can be seen everywhere around us.
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The goal of our team is to design and build a mechanical caterpillar using electronic components like; motors, Arduino, etc... This mechatronic model has the creativity and imagination of each individual of the team.
Pertinent Information Gathering Document
Need statement:
A mechanical caterpillar toy depicting its motion.
Working:
The oriented movement of each component depicts the real-life motion of a caterpillar. 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. Following are the mechanism of components;
- Cams act like small computers which store information that can be turned into a movement. They can be very simple or complex and the only limitation is their size. Cams normally work in conjunction with a "Cam Follower". As the name implies this follows the movement of the Cam and transfers the movement to the working area. The Cam follower is normally a rod made of wood or metal which is supported by a shaft that limits the movement and direction. The Cam follower is designed with a smooth end that can easily follow the Cams movement. This is very important as the Cam and follower will jam if not properly designed. The Basic principle of the Cam is to turn a circular motion into one that moves up and down. This is referred to as reciprocating movement.
- Cranks are similar to a simple cam. They convert circular movement into a reciprocal one (up and down motion) or vice versa. However, there are some fundamental differences. Firstly cranks only ever work in a circular motion and they only have one drive action per revolution. That said when it comes to automata you can make some amazing machines based on the crank.
- Gears are very versatile and can help produce a range of movements that can be used to control the speed of action. In basic terms, gears are comparable to continuously applied levers, as one tooth is engaging, another is disengaging. The amount of teeth each gear wheel has affects the action on the gear wheel it engages or meshes with. The gear wheel being turned is called the input gear and the the one it drives is called the output gear. Gears with unequal numbers of teeth alter the speed between the input and output.
Materials:
| Sr no. | Components | Mechanism and functioning | Link |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Body material | Providing stiffness and depicting the animal | https://www.amazon.com/craft-metal-sheets/s?k=craft+metal+sheets |
| 2 | glue | building body | |
| 3 | Cams and Cranks | turn a circular motion into one that moves up and down | https://www.mechanical-toys.com/cams.html |
| 4 | Gears | control the speed of action | https://www.mechanical-toys.com/gears.html |
| 5 | Ratchet | used to slow things down and it happens in a very jerky manner. | https://www.mechanical-toys.com/ratchets.html |
| 6 | Levers and Pulleys | Translation of force | https://www.mechanical-toys.com/mechanisms.html |
| 7 | Motor | Motion of the animal | https://www.amazon.com/craft-metal-sheets/s?k=craft+metal+sheets |
| 8 | Batteries | Supply to motor | https://www.instructables.com/Arduino-How-to-Use-a-Servo-Motor-With-an-External-/ |
Here are some kinetic animal examples;
- Horse: A simple turn of the crank brings this mechanical horse to life! Artful, clever, educational, and wonderfully fun to build - This quality collection of laser-cut wood pieces challenges the mind as makers young and old piece them together to build an amazing horse automaton.
- Monkey: A simple turn of the crank brings this mechanical monkey to life! Artful, clever, educational, and wonderfully fun to build - This quality collection of laser-cut wood pieces challenges the mind as makers young and old piece them together to build an amazing horse automaton.
- Caterpillar:
A simple turn of the crank brings this mechanical caterpillar to life!
Artful, clever, educational, and wonderfully fun to build - This quality collection of laser-cut wood pieces challenges the mind as makers young and old piece them together to build an amazing horse automaton.
