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Animated Beautiful Machine
IAT 106 Spatial Thinking and Communicating
Project Overview
In the course final project, you will iteratively design an Animated Beautiful Machine (ABM). An ABM is a machine
that combines mechanical components to amplify the effects of human effort—yes! But also, and more
importantly, presents a pleasant and surprising output motion. An ABM looks beautiful on its own even when
it’s not operated and surprises its viewers/operators when they interact with it.
What is considered beautiful can be a personal, cultural or socially agreed-upon construct. We will discuss
‘what is beautiful’ by examples in the lecture.
ABMs and similar systems have been built for centuries for different reasons: sometimes to imitate nature,
sometimesto impress a king, or sometimesto entertain children [1]. They are created by curious puzzle solvers,
artists, educators,engineers and scientists [1-7]. It has even become a business for many companies that design
ready-to-buildkits to market and sell online. Yes, it would be easy to purchase and assemble one, but you would
miss the fun of making your own, and you would lose the opportunity of testing your knowledge and skills in
spatial thinking and communicating.Still, you can learn a lot from these examples.
ABMs are fun to watch and play with, but, more importantly, designing and making such machines require
knowledge and skills similar to those you are studying and developing in this course. ABMs can be found in
different sizes with and of diversecomplexity.We want you to make a simple but functional ABM for this project.
For this purpose, we prefer that you use and select mechanisms that we discuss in lectures and labs to complete
your ABMs in the given time.
The best ABM would integrate the mechanical components with the housing (support, figure, walls, box holding
the mechanical parts). Together, they make a beautiful machine. There are three ways to achieve a successful
ABM;
1. The housing is made beautiful (e.g. inspired by the art of origami – faceted figure), all mechanical parts
are embedded inside it. The mechanical components connect different parts of the flexible housing to
generate a beautiful motion. See Category 01 examples. In this scenario, the mechanical parts should NOT
be entirely hidden. The mechanism should be visible at least from one side for instructors to see.
2. The mechanical parts are visible and are integrated with the housing such that they enhance the overall
visual beauty of the machine and its motion. See Category 02 examples.
3. The mechanical parts ARE the beautiful machine. See Category 03 examples.
Please note that none of the above includes a separate mechanical box to hold the mechanical components
inside.
Constraints
1. The machine must be under 40 cm in length, 40 cm in-depth, 40 cm in height. Smaller is better.
2. The resultant motion or output should be inspired by Nature (humans, animals, wind, water, plants, etc.).
3. The ABM should be actuated by hand, usually through a manual crank.
4. The ABM must NOT use bevel gears.
5. The ABM must have at least one kind of linkage mechanism (preferably 3+ linkage mechanisms).
6. The ABM must have at least two mechanically distinct motions; in other words, it cannot have the same
mechanical motion repeated multiple times to generate its overall effect.
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Category 01 ABM – housing holds the
mechanical parts (Housing is made
out of paper, folded and glued to
achieve origami effects)
Category 02 ABM – the mechanical
parts integrate with the housing to
create the overall effect. In this case,
the skull and the complexity of ideas
in one’s head are depicted using
complex chains of gears, cams and
linkages.
Category 03 ABM – the mechanical
parts are the machine. No extra part is
added without a mechanical
function/output. The mechanical parts
move in a motion inspired by a
crawling insect when the crankshaft is
operated.
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Category 01 ABM – housing holds the
mechanical parts Housing is made of
cardboard. Once again, it is made
beautiful by using geometric shapes
to represent a curvilinear chameleon.
Category 02 ABM – the mechanical
parts integrate with the housing to
create the overall effect. In this case,
the linkage mechanism is used
outside the elephant’s body to
represent its legs, creating a
beautiful walking motion.
Category 03 ABM – the mechanical
parts are the machine. No extra part is
added without a mechanical
function/output, except the arches
repeated to represent the insect’s
body, perhaps. The mechanical parts
move in a motion inspired by a
slithering snake-like insect.
Purpose
This is a more advanced project than your first and second creations (referring to the golf ball case project and
the four-bar linkage project). In this project, you will create and combine several different parts into a working
assembly. It is designed to advanceyour awarenessof spatial thinkingwhile improvingyour skills in developing
and using other representations (sketches, CAD models, physical models). This project integrates and uses the
individual lab exercises you have been doing. You will carry out this in groups of two students (see Format
section).
At the end of this project, each group will give a presentation with a demo of their ABM during the last lab of the
course. Throughout the project, the most relevant spatial thinking issues you explore are;
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• Defining individual objects as part of an assembly,
• Determining objects’ properties–dimensionsand shape,
• Spatially relating their relationships and interaction with each other in the assembly, and
• Describe the functions of each part and the complete assembly when taken as a whole.
As you practice and learn about spatial thinking, you will begin to see that it both requires and helps
communicateideas about spatial objects in 2D and 3D. You will use the representationtechniques and tools you
learned and practiced earlier in the course to explore your ideas individually,share these ideas with others, and
demonstrate what you have learned. These techniques include sketching, digital modelling, physical modelling,
and composing different representations to express your designs! The TA and instructor will help groups as they
make progress. This project is designed to help you learn how to work in a group while following a plan from
conceptualizationto final.
Objectives
The project’s overall objectives are:
1. Analyze existing ABMs concerning their structure,parts, and assembliesto infer their functionality and
the category they fall under (refer to ABM categories in the table of examples).
2. Communicate your ideas about ABM with your other team member to create concepts for a new ABM
together.
3. Refine your ABM design using sketching techniques, such as multi-view and isometric drawings.
4. Using your sketches, convince your TA, instructor, and classmates that your idea will work.
5. Using your sketches, model the parts in CAD systemsand create a working assemblythat demonstrates
your ABM’s functionality.
6. Create a physical model of your ABM using your sketches and CAD model as a blueprint.
7. Present and demonstrate your ABM to the class using sketches, CAD models, physical models,
screenshots, animations, etc.
8. Prepare an individual sketchbook recording your thoughts and work on the project.
9. Prepare a short video demonstrating your physical ABM.
Process
You will complete the project through incremental and iterative phases. The main weekly instructions
describing the objectives, deliverables, and assessment are given below:

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Although the process is listed linearly, we expect some aspects of your ABM will change throughout the process.
For example, while creating your assembly, you may discover that certain parts need to be modified. Slight
modifications throughout the process are accepted while significant changes, such as a complete
redesign, are not. In general, substantial changes after obtaining TA approval of your design are
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discouraged. If you run into problems and feel the difference is required, you must obtain permission from the
TA and instructor.
Format
You will do this project in groups of two in the same lab. You can form on your own in Week 08 and may not
change your group. In Week 08, each group must submit a ‘group charter’ that outlines rules in the group. Each
group member must sign the charter before submitting it to their lab TA. The group members should work
together in completing the project each week because each member will be equally responsible for all aspects
of the ABM. You will be asked to give your lab mates feedback on their designs.
Sketchbook
Each student is responsible for their sketchbook. Sketchbooks record ideas, thoughts; notes; sketches; and
problems and their solutions (and lots of other things). A good sketchbook, rich in its record, is an absolute
hallmark of an effective designer. Show your sketchbook each week to your Lab TA and bring it to the final
review. Improvement from week to week will count!
Assessment & Deliverables
The ABM project is worth 15% of your final IAT106 grade. On the day of your final presentation, each group is
required to submit all digital deliverables to Canvas and the group’s physical model (see Part 4). The process
section above shows the overall distribution of marks by part.
Assessment of Physical model
This project intends to use only simple, easy-to-work, and cheap materials such as cardstock, corrugated
cardboard, foam-core, Styrofoam, and simple wood dowels for prototyping. Connectors are less restricted, for
example, wire, string, screws, masking tape, glue, etc.
We will assess your physical model according to the following criteria. Each will be equally weighted.
1. Mechanical Simplicity. We encourage teams to use simple mechanisms. The students will be given
fewer points if a more straightforward mechanism can achieve the same output or resultant motion.
Unnecessarily adding complexity to a simple motion will have negative impacts.
2. The smoothness of operation and robustness. Does the ABM move smoothly and with little effort?
Is the ABM likely to break? Here are examples of some features that will, in and of themselves, reduce
your mark on this criterion:
• Cantilevered axles (these are inherently weak)
• Direct cam followers (use an intermediary lever)
• Not allowed to use bevel gears (these earn an automatic zero on this)
3. Technical Appeal. Are all parts of the ABM carefully made and in ways appropriate to the material
used? (e.g., MDF is easy to machine accurately but is not very strong.) Are all joints well-designed given
the materials used and well-constructed? (e.g., Tension connectors should be more than knots in the
string.) Does the detailing of the parts and assemblies make sense as a whole? (e.g., are parts stronger
or weaker than they should be given the entire ABM?)
4. Visual Appeal. The final ABM must be one of the three categories explained earlier. Visually it should
appeal to the audience and be fun and surprising to the operator. We understand that “visual beauty”
is relatable but can be defined within a context; hence it can be argued. This assessment criteria may be
graded compared to the other ABM submissions from the other groups in the class.
Your descriptor. You provide an adjective or adjectival phrase that captures an essential quality of your ABM.
Here are some of the thousands of possible descriptors: cool, crisp, sharp, funny, ironic, spooky, silly, playful,
modernist, baroque, medieval, ethereal, urban. This adjective or adjectival phrase MUST occur prominently in
your presentation. We will evaluate your ABM based on how well it matches your descriptor.
The group’s work submitted throughout the project must be their own. In case of plagiarism, the procedure
defined in SFU policies will be followed.
References and Useful Links
1. http://automata.co.uk/: Commercial and educational mechanical toys products
2. http://flying-pig.co.uk/index.php
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3. http://www.cabaret.co.uk/
4. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XzQp-9GDpu8 <News clip on Cabaret>
5. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Azg1tsTpVo4 : Dog figure playing with ball>
6. http://www.mechanicalmonkey.co.uk/
7. http://www.zuko.to/kobo/english/e-works/e-ctop.html : Japanese Kit website
8. http://www.walterruffler.de/index1.html : Paper machines: exhibition and art of Walter Ruffle