Automata

Information about automata.

Part of a course program for students second year, Animation and Spatial.

The idea was to add some interactivity (servo motors) to automata.

But Automata are already complicated beasts!

Parts and concepts of Automata:

• Storyline
• Figures
• Mechanism
• Materials
• Interactivity
• Skills

Storyline

The storyline can be quite simple, some repetitive movement.

• rotation
• going up and down, to and fro, left and right
• combinations, that means combining movements in several different periods

repeating a movement of an object which is plainly visible, for example a helicopter rotating its blades: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7W3wgwUfjZA

wishing this movement "opening" something, made something discoverable - surprise - the chicken: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ztL5STp_qKg&list=PL9OXNhdKkKnx0Vg2CJHLoZsdhWSHxm_-i&index=2

combination of several movements and several moving figures: a little story: simple example, Chameleon: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=POjj7yokWXU&t=6s

Figures

Most automata are figurative, that means

Most simple: paper flat figures, a dancer (very simple): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4W1dTyUrfZc

3D sculpted figures: wood sculptures: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X_5J5J7FdM4

combination of figures:

figures inside a setting, for example a landscape: Sheep: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FvfIkG7W5Bg&list=PL9OXNhdKkKnx0Vg2CJHLoZsdhWSHxm_-i

Making figures is "sculpture".

Mechanisms

The mechanism is part of the fun, and in most of the cases it it open, visible, part of the story.

The mechanisms can be very simple, or very complex.

Indeed if you concentrate on the mechanism you can spend years of study, on cock wheels and different ways to get complicated repetitive movements

The complex does not seem to add to the surprise or the storyline, example: the Archer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=afNhgTgvOpA

By studying the mechanism you will discover how many ways there are to generate movements. How many movements there are. How complex movements can be.

Making the mechanism is rather time consuming. Making mechanisms is addictive. It will distract you from the story.

Great stories are made with simple mechanisms. Combining some figures with simple mechanisms will create a story most of the time. Working for years on the mechanism will probably create something very ingenious but on the storyline rather boring: example: Making a drawing or writing a text: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C7oSFNKIlaM

Links for workshops on mechanisms: https://cabaret.co.uk/store/video/how-to-make-automata/ https://www.phoenixstudio.co.uk/courses/automata_with_stephen_guy_june/

Materials

The most simple is paper. When the figures are made in 3D, then even paper can become stiff. Folding Techniques.

A bit more robust is card board, for slipping gears.

When you have woodworking skills: wood. For cruder gears.

When you have fine metalworking skills: metal. For very fine gears, axis rotating inside shafts.

Plastics, Acrylic: then you can make your gears with the laser cutter.

ABS: when you use the 3D printer, you can make your figures and gears in 3D software, and print it.

Of course combining materials.

For special parts

BBQ sticks for axes

Glue gun

Paper straws for shafts

Interactivity

Do you still need "interactivity"? Could be.

If you start using a microcontroller, just like mechanisms, you could become addicted to it, the electronics or the programming, and this will then reduce your attention for the storyline.

With microcontroller can add:

• light - LED's for eyes or lighting up an interior of a house.
• sound, music, speech - compare music boxes
• movement by servo or stepper motors - but half of the fun is turning the wheels yourself with a crank
• programming the microcontroller can make the story more "interactive"

• adding sensors, for different behavior when people are around, move, difference in light
• adding buttons, for people to press - different behavior
• adding timers
• adding text displays, for stories

You can add bluetooth, and have an App on your smart phone to give signals to the automaton.

Question: is a robot an automaton? I don't think so - although it could be. A robot doesn't repeat its movement, although it could. A robot is not a (funny) story line. A robot is not a toy - why are automatons toy like?

Links for microcontrollers: www.arduino.cc https://microbit.org

Skills

To make a funny automaton you need so many skills!

• think of a surprising little story, repeating itself.
• being able to make interesting 3D figures, and backgrounds
• being able to be inventive with different materials
• being able to figure out the mechanism, the gears, the movements

if you want to add interactivity

• being able to do electronics
• being able to program a microcontroller

and rather important:

Being able to combine all this

Strategy

Start simple. Don't worry about mechanisms, these can be developed. Concentrate on the story. Analyze the movements, the stages in the story. It will be repetitive, how fast is it boring? How can it remain endearing?

Look at a lot of automata, make a choice, search a type within your reach. Look at the possibilities of your material skills, before starting something to far away.

Start experimenting with small ideas in simple materials