Animated Paper Automata
Source: Stemoto Original
Bring your drawings to life with mechanics! Build a simple cardboard box with a hand crank, wooden dowels, and foam cams that translate circular motion into jumping or spinning character animations.
Categorisation
Props & Materials Required
- •Small cardboard box (like a shoebox or tissue box)
- •2-3 Wooden skewers or thin dowels
- •Thick craft foam or cardboard (for the cams)
- •A plastic drinking straw
- •Hot glue and scissors
- •Paper and markers (for the character)
Step-by-Step Instructions
Prepare the Box
Cut the front face off your cardboard box so you can see inside. Poke a hole in the left and right sides of the box so a wooden skewer (the axle) can slide all the way through horizontally.
Make the Cam
Cut a circle or an egg shape out of thick foam. This is your 'cam'. Poke a hole through it, slide it onto the middle of your horizontal axle, and hot glue it in place so it spins when you turn the axle.
Build the Follower
Poke a hole in the roof of the box, directly above the cam. Cut a 1-inch piece of plastic straw and glue it into the hole as a guide tube. Drop a second wooden skewer (the follower) vertically through the straw so it rests on top of the cam.
Create the Character
Draw a fun character on paper (like a jumping frog or a flying bird). Cut it out and tape it to the top of your vertical follower skewer.
Turn the Crank!
Add a small cardboard handle to the end of your horizontal axle outside the box. Turn the handle! As the egg-shaped cam spins inside the box, it will push the vertical skewer up and let it fall down, making your character jump!
Why It Works & Notes
This project introduces mechanical engineering without motors. By building a 'cam and follower' mechanism, kids learn how turning a horizontal axle (rotary motion) can be converted into vertical jumping or spinning (linear motion).
Very safe, no-solder project. Younger kids (5-7) will need help poking holes in the cardboard box and using the hot glue gun. Ensure the holes for the axles are large enough that the sticks can spin freely!