Kate Malmsbury
ABOUT
A Walking Automaton
I bring you the reinvention of the Super Mario Bros Game. My team has incorporated the use of shafts, cams, a linkage mechanism, and a gear train. When the motor is switched on the cams move Mario and his friends up and down. The linkage mechanism converts rotational motion to translational motion which causes the coins our characters are trying to catch, to move in and out of their reach. The motor also drives the legs moving the automation forward through the use of a gear train and based on the Klann leg mechanism design.
Our team's goal is to capture attention with a complex yet comprehensible automaton design while simultaneously challenging our engineering design skills and impressing our professor. We believe children who want to learn about engineering principles tend to gravitate towards vibrant, interactive, and relatable exhibits over information-dense presentations.
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Please enjoy our infomercial themed video presentation below.
ME 370
Mechanical Engineering Design
This class's objectives was to build an automaton atop a walker. The automaton had to include either a cam shaft or gear train and also include a linkage mechanism. The walking aspect had to have legs driven by the motor. Wheels were allowed but they could not be driven by the motor.