Slides
https://drive.google.com/file/d/17pHVl9f5jjKaRLnrEQpTHuXCwNqpHsH_/view?usp=sharing
Getting Started
- Join our Slack channel if you have not already done so. If you did not receive an invitation, email me at [email protected]. I highly recommend that you install the Slack app on your computer (and optionally on your phone as well), rather than accessing through the browser. Set your notifications to ensure that you are getting alerts to messages. You can modify notifications further and choose to snooze that at specific times.
- Create a blog on the platform of your choice (Notion, Medium, Blogger, etc.) and make an introduction post. This post should include a link to an automaton you find online that is inspiring to you. It could be the complexity of the mechanism, the materials, or the style of automaton.
- Schedule your shop training at ITP and at the MakerSpace. You will need to have shop approval by class on 9/21 so plan accordingly.
- Review our syllabus and familiarize yourself with the plan and protocols. If you have questions, please send me a DM on Slack.
- Review your schedule, and allocate blocks of time for our class and time for outside homework, budgeting an extra 3-5 hours per week. I recommend that you schedule these blocks of time for all of your classes, so that you can manage your time effectively, balancing school work with free time and the rest of your life. Be sure to also ensure you mark down which days you are on campus or attending virtually so you don't miss your allotted lab time.
Assignment
Part 1: Find a mechanical toy
Go to a dollar store and find a small, inexpensive toy (<$10) that has some kind of mechanical element to it. It must have some element that can spin, pull, snap, twist, make a noise (through mechanical means, not a speaker), This toy MUST be something that can be taken apart (ie. has screws, or is held together by an adhesive but not a permanent fastener like rivets). If you already have a toy you don't mind taking apart in the future, you can use that.
The toy must:
- Be less than 6" x 6" x 6" in size
- Include a mechanical element
- Be something you don't mind taking apart
Here is an example:
If you have a toy in mind and you aren’t sure it meets the requirements, you can send me a photo of it over Slack to confirm.
Part 2: Document the toy