Creating Mechanical Toys: Steps Toward a CAD Tool for Educational Automata

This paper describes our work on a computational tool for the design of mechanical elements suitable for use in automata (mechanical toys and sculpture). The purpose of the tool is to permit students to create customized mechanical components (such as cams); to combine and simulate sets of components; and to "print out" the components on devices such as laser cutters that realize the designs in wood. We discuss the educational rationale behind our work; describe the current (still early) state of our system; and explore the relationship between our work and larger issues highlighted by work in "computational crafting."