Mechanisms and Innovation – Top Ten Machines

Do you find it tricky introducing Unit 10 – Mechanisms in this Digital Age and getting students both to understand and

also find it creative and exciting? Often the first tactic is to use example real world mechanisms around the workshop – whether that be the Pillar Drill and pulleys and gears or Simple Scissors and the idea of the lever. However often it is important to inspire further and I just came across an excellent site at the wonderful Internet Design Magazine – Dezeen called “Dezeen’s Top Ten Machines”

It has a fabulous list including links of a variety of recent creative mechanisms – a great activity would be to print out each of the mechanisms and distribute them around the class and then ask students to each explain using the correct terminology how each of the mechanisms works. Whether that is the “Applause Machine” pictured right or a “Rotational Moulding Machine” (also great to introduce how rotational moulding works in principle.

Finally finish off with showing students one of many videos of Jansen’s Magical Moving Mechanical Monsters :-

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mceMyJdK7Ik[/youtube]