In Kala Cohen’s Engineering Class, we have these amazing students making these cool shoebox automatas. “It’s an exploration of creating motion through an axle and a cam system. An automaton is an automatically moving figure that repeats the motion over and over again,” Kala Cohen said. Using cardboard, skewers, and some craft supplies. Using any type of box is fine. Build anything with your imagination, like a moving caterpillar, a helicopter, or a gecko!
We can use multiple cams in the shoebox: Pear Cam, Eccentric Cam, Heart Cam, Hexagon Cam, and Snail Cam. The pear, eccentric, heart, and hexagon-shaped cams have a slow rise and fall. The snail cam has a drop that is sudden and goes quickly. All these cams have a different motion. We have various motions for our cams, like linear, rotary, oscillating, and reciprocating. These cams will help our toy models move above the shoebox move.
Shoebox Automatas from Students:
A student made a Whale model. He makes the whale swim going up and down in a reciprocating motion and shooting out water while spinning. The waves will also go up and down. He uses eccentric cams and a unique cam. He will have six cams: five eccentric cams and one he made. He will use a pulley system to connect the body axle to the water sprout.
Someone made a shoebox automata about a fisherman. The boat moves up and down in a rocking motion. He makes the fisherman move his rod up and down into the water, in reciprocating motion with his unique cam. Then the fish gets caught up and down with a spin with a snail cam. He will use two-four cams.
A student created a music box shoebox automata. The disc moves in a circular motion. The music notes go up and down with a unique cam. Then, the vinyl record wooden storage goes up and down. They both move in a reciprocating motion. He will be using three cams. He will use a hex cam and a heart cam. His unique cam is called a Tretiol Cam. It looks like a three-leaf clover.
Another student made a sword fight shoebox automata. The first person will move forward and backward with a snail cam in a reciprocating motion. The second guy swings his sword up and down in an oscillating motion, with a unique cam that is a smaller snail cam. He will use three cams.
There was a shoebox automaton with frogs. Two frogs are on each side. The first frog shows his whole body, and the other shows his head. Three flies are up in the air at an angle. There’s a background that looks like tall and big grass. They will all be going up and down in a reciprocating motion. All of them will use the snail cam, except the background will use a unique cam. He will use four cams.
There was a long and giant axe shoebox automata. The axe is attached to a log and has a metal handle to pull it down to cut a log. The axe will move in an oscillating motion. The log will move up and down with a pear cam. They will use 2 cams.
A student had a shoebox automata of 3 jars. Honey, grape jam, and butter. Honey and grape jam both have a spoon inside. The butter has a butterknife in it. The spoons and knife will move up and down in an oscillating motion. They are using circular cams and a unique cam. The unique cam is a smaller pear cam. They will be using 3 cams. The cams have hands to protect them from moving away.
The shoebox automata I’m going to make is a guy parrying a dodgeball with a sword. The guy with the dodgeball is going to move up and down with a pear cam. When he throws the dodgeball, it will move forward and backward with my unique cam. Then, the guy with the sword will parry it with a snail cam. They will all be moving in reciprocation, and I will use 3 cams. This is the shoebox automata I am going to make.
