This was an introductory project to simple mechanical principles for a mechanical prototyping class. The aim of this project was to create a sculpture that transferred a simple rotational movement to a separate visual outcome.
The mechanism of the automata sculpture is simple: there is a crank on one side and a rotating sun and moon perpendicular to it. Bevel gears transfer the rotation from the crank to the moon. Nearly all the pieces were 3D printed or laser cut.
As this was one of my first projects, it had several imperfections that led to learning opportunities. For instance, I learned that I cannot assume wood won't have imperfections. Several of the pieces were warped, causing the mechanism to bind.
