Video Instruction on how to make a paper Mario Brothers Automaton

The good folks over at MAKE have created an awesome step-by-step video showing you how to make a paper automaton featuring the video game character Mario. The plans are free to download, and the video shows you exactly how to go about assembling it for yourself.

I provided a bit of guidance to the video's creator, Meg Allan Cole, and am honored to have been featured in the post on MAKE and in the video itself as an example of the kind of automaton that can be made from wood. Thanks Meg! Thanks MAKE!

Here is where you can down the free plans and parts for this paper Mario Brothers automaton. For additional plans for paper and wood automata, check out the automata plans page on dugnorth.com.

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At Work with Tim Prentice: video profile of a kinetic sculptor

Kinetic sculptor Tim Prentice is profiled in this lovely video. Prentice makes large hanging pieces that interact with the air to create captivating patterns of motion, light, and form. The 18 minute video follows Prentice around his pastoral home and studio in New England as he works on various pieces. His narration leaves no doubt in the viewer that Prentice has thought deeply about his art, but he does so in a way that is clear and unpretentious. It's a pleasure to hear him speak.

There is a new book available about the work of Tim Prentice titled Drawing on the Air: The Kinetic Sculpture of Tim Prentice. Due out in June of 2012, the book features the work of of a man whose sculptures "allow you to see the air" in his words. His sculptures may be seen in public spaces and corporate headquarters throughout the United States as well as in Taiwan, Japan, Korea, Hong Kong, Switzerland and Australia. His work is also in over 150 private collections. The book is a beautiful 9" x 9" hardcover format. The book may be pre-ordered now at Amazon.

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The Mechanical Man at the Heart of Hugo - the first 5 minutes of this automata documentary

I had the honor of being interviewed for a brief history of automata. The documentary was included as a featurette on the two-disc Blu-ray/DVD combo release of the movie Hugo, a Martin Scorsese film.

A few short segments in which I speak have been released previously. I posted about them here, here, and here. The producer of the documentary, EMC West, has just created a page for the project on their site which includes the first 5 minutes of the 13 minute long featurette. Other speakers in the film includes director Martin Scorsese, special effects expert Dick George, automata artist Thomas Kuntz, and several others.

From the EMC West web site:

One of the key elements of the five-Oscar-winning Hugo is the part of the story which revolves around an automaton. Did such an automaton exist? If it did, how would it work? These questions are answered in this fascinating tour of the history of automata, from ancient Greece to modern-day masters of creating clockwork life.

Here is where you can view the first 5 minutes of the documentary The Mechanical Man at the Heart of Hugo on the EMC West web site.

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Tour Cabaret Mechanical Theatre as it was in the 1990s

Here's a video that shows Cabaret Mechanical Theatre when it was located in Covent Garden, London. Founder Sue Jackson provides a tour 1997 for a Thai TV program (in English with subtitles). For those of us who never made it to Cabaret in these years, this is a wonderful taste of what we missed. For those that did visit, I am sure it will bring fond memories flooding back.

From the video description:

Have a tour around the original Cabaret Mechanical Theatre which had 69 machines all operated by push button. See Paul Spooner's amazing Last Judgement, and his famous Manet's Olympia. Watch Keith Newstead's Economic Cycle and Domestic Bliss in action, and Tim Hunkin's Barman serves the drinks.

This second video is from the mid 1990s. In it you will see founder Sue Jackson, automata from Keith Newstead, Peter Markey, Paul Spooner, and Ron Fuller. All classics!

You can still visit Cabaret Mechanical Theatre's web site and their traveling exhibits.

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Singing bird automaton by Bliss Kolb with realistic song

I can't get enough of the bird automata by Bliss Kolb. This one comes to us courtesy of a post on the Spiel und Kunst mit Mechanik blog. An established and multi-talented artist, it still strikes me as amazing how Bliss Kolb's automata appeared fairly recently so complete, mature, sophisticated, and cohesive. It's beautiful work and this bird is certainly no exception.

Mechanical Singing Birds have a long history. This hand-cranked mechanical singing bird carries on that tradition. The automaton has a bank of cams controlling the bird's six movements. Bellows provide air to blow a whistle, which employs a lever to change the pitch. The effect is a very lifelike birdsong. As usual, all of the mechanical and aesthetic details are superb.

You can see more automata by Bliss Kolb on his web site.

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Dug North automata at the Cambridge Mini Maker Faire 2012

Thanks for all of those that attended last week's Cambridge Mini Maker Faire. Thanks also to everyone who stopped by my table and said hello. I hope you enjoyed my automata and turning the cranks for yourself.

Thanks also to:
the organizer, Chris Conners
the host, Cambridge Science Festival
the sponsor, Artisan's Asylum
and of course....MAKE Magazine!

For more info on the event check out the Cambridge Mini Maker Faire web site and this Flickr pool covering the event.

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Chameleon papercraft kinetic sculpture by Rob Ives

The master of mechanical paper sculpture has done it again. Here is Rob Ives' latest project -- a shaking chameleon whose motion is powered by a swinging pendulum. It's an ingenious new application for a well-know mechanism. The chameleon project will be available for to purchase and download very soon.

See more paper sculpture and automata by Rob Ives on his web site.

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Automaton figure on antique French clock points to the hours and minutes

Here's a really interesting antique French clock dating to around 1890. The automaton figure points to the hour and the minutes.

From the eBay description:

The gilded robed goddess standing atop the marble base has her arms outstretched. The hand of her right arm points to the hour, and the left hand points to the minutes, which are delineated in 5-minute increments. The gilding contrasts most beautifully with the blue enameled backdrop behind the goddess.

The platform escapement movement works perfectly, translating the clockworks through a clever linkage to the two arms, which when they reach their uppermost point fall dramatically to the lower starting position.

Here's where you can see the full listing including many nice photographs of this Antique French Bras en L'air Clock Automaton.

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Dug North Automata at Boston area Mini Maker Faire, April 20th 2012

I'm thrilled to be one of the exhibitors at the Boston-area Cambridge Mini Maker Faire to be held this Friday, April 20th. The Mini Maker Faire this year will be coordinating with the Cambridge Science Festival and their Carnival event.

I'll be bringing a bunch of carved figures, prototypes, and finished wood automata. You will also be able to see videos of my other work. Come turn a crank, ask me about good books on mechanical things, and hear about how I got on the Blu-ray release of Hugo. If you get there early, the kids (old and young) can score a nifty Dug North Automata sticker.

This recent video profile of me shows most of the pieces you will be able to see in person at the Cambridge Mini Maker Faire:

Cambridge Mini Maker Faire Details:
Date: Friday, April 20
Time: 12:00PM to 4:00PM
Where: Cambridge Rindge and Latin High School, tennis courts
Cost: Admission to the Cambridge Mini Maker Faire is free!

See you there!

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How to make a wooden rope-climbing monkey toy

Engineer and Toy Designer, Roberto Lou Ma, has done it again! He has come up with a new take on a classic wooden toy. He has created a rope-climbing monkey toy out of wood. As is his custom, he has provided free plans for making the toy. The plans are in Spanish, but with the detailed pictures and measurements provided, most people should be able to figure how make the toy themselves -- even if they don't know Spanish.

Here's what the climbing monkey toy looks like up close:

Here is the link to the free plans for a wooden rope climbing monkey toy.

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New web site for automaton artist Wanda Sowry

We just got word that the talented automaton artist, Wanda Sowry, has a new address for her web site. Wanda Sowry's web site may be found at: http://www.wandasowry.com. Be sure to check it out to see the lovely use of different woods in her various automata.

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Staccato - a drummer automaton by Tom Haney

Check out the latest from automaton artist Tom Haney. This automaton depicts a performing drummer. The figure's body was carved from basswood and the head sculpted from polymer clay. The drum kit is assembled from a variety of found objects. Not only does the video show the piece in action, but we get a great look at the mechanism and its cams. There are also some really nice "in progress" shots of the piece.

Learn more about automata by Tom Haney on his web site.

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Wooden pendulum clock displays the time in digital form

Here's a fascinating combination of technologies. This is a wooden pendulum clock that has been rigged up to display the time in a digital format. Every time the pendulum swings, an optical sensor is tripped. This sensor controls a motor which drives a transmission gear train, which in turn operates a very mechanical form of digital display.

The plywood clock component is a modified version of the Primus clock designed by David Atkinson.

Heres a video of the optical sensor that drives the display's transmission being manually triggered:

Here's where you can read a full article, see additional photographs, and video of this fascinating Analog Clock in a Digital World.

[ Thanks Elyasaf! ]

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Amazing modular miniature marble-run machines

Based on the number of YouTube views, this video has made the rounds already, but it was new to me as of yesterday. The maker has created a modular marble track system. The input and output locations for the marbles are standardized at the transition points between going up and going down. Separate components are made for the the marble lift and marble run, with the lifts typically attached to the main base. In this way, one elevator system can be used to raise the marbles for several different downward runs. What a fantastic idea! It's beautifully made stuff too. Each machine measures only 10cm x 15cm at the base, so they are quite small.

[ Thanks Bob! ]

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Drawing on the Air, a book about the kinetic sculpture of Tim Prentice

Breaking news! Amazon has just listed that they are taking pre-orders for a new book on the kinetic art of Tim Prentice titled Drawing on the Air: The Kinetic Sculpture of Tim Prentice. For those of you who don't know, Tim Prentice makes large moving sculptures that combine fluidity, engineering, connectedness, flow, air, light, and change.

From the book description:

The kinetic sculptures of Tim Prentice create a novel geometry of air and light. Concentrating on movement rather than object, Prentice harnesses natural elements into his art machines-delicate structures that walk the tightrope between order and chaos, control and serendipity, understated technique and extravagant wonder.Prentice purposely circumscribes the artist's prerogatives, distilling the power of wind and sun into an ever-changing dance of light and shadow. These understated, subtle inventions provide endless distraction, delighting the child in all of us.

Drawing on Air will offer the reader a multifaceted look at Prentice and his artwork in what looks to be a beautiful 9" x 9" hardcover format.

Here's where you can pre-order and/or preview the book Drawing on the Air: The Kinetic Sculpture of Tim Prentice

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Download free plans for The Rolling Reels Circus paper automaton

Here's a great paper automaton available for free from Pino at paperpino.net. Turn the hand crank to make the cams rise and fall. The cams in turn, shift up and down allowing the reels to 'climb' the moving stairs. When the reels reach the top, they spin down the curved ramp to start the process over again. And it's all made with paper and glue! Ingenious.

Here's where you can download the plans for The Rolling Reels Circus automaton.

[ Thanks Ian! ]

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Automomous robot band covers 'Come Together' by The Beatles

Here's a fun video of a group of robots performing The Beatles classic song Come Together. They really bring their own sound to the tune.

An explanation from the YouTube description:

Four of Drexel's HUBO robots perform the Beatles' "Come Together" in a demonstration that combines cutting-edge engineering technology and research with creative expression, produced by the Music & Entertainment Technology Laboratory (MET-lab). The HUBOs are operating autonomously (not human-controlled). Their movements are directed by student-developed software to perform the gestures necessary to produce the appropriate notes and beats as dictated by a musical score. Every sound in the video was performed by the robots.

Here's where you can learn more about the robotics at Drexel Univerisity.

[ Thanks Bob! ]

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Making your own gears out of wood circles and car timing belt

Here is a clever way to make gears that comes to us by way of LumberJocks.com. The method involves cutting a circular blank for the gear, then wrapping it with a section of car engine timing belt. The toothed belt conforms to the outside of the circle creating gear teeth. The belt is secured to the wood circle with strong a adhesive.

It seems like the tricky part might be in creating gears of different size to achieve certain gear ratios. It seems like a cardboard circle could be used to test how the belt will sit and if the teeth are spaced appropriately at the seam. Once the proper size circle is established with cardboard, the blank could then be cut in wood. Once you have the right sizes for several different gears, keep a record or a template and the job will be easy the next time around.

Here is the original full blog post with additional pictures on these gears made from wood circles and engine timing belt.

[ Thanks Charles! ]

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The smallest swimming goldfish automaton you'll ever see

Laurence and Angela St. Leger are creators of hand-crafted miniature automata. They've worked their magic again here with this tiny goldfish bowl. When turned, a very tiny hand-crank sets this pair of even smaller goldfish swimming in circles within the bowl. Delightful, as always!

Order your own miniature goldfish tank at Cabaret Mechanical Theatre.

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