DT+HS+S2-Clement

= IN PROGRESS = = = =Design Folder- Clement=

UNIT QUESTION:
Kids love to play, they also learn by playing and observing the world around them. How can we create a game that takes advantages of these ideas that would be interesting for kids?

UNIT QUESTION INTERPRETED:
Early elementary kids enjoy playing more than studying, and they also learn by playing different types of games. How can we create a game that will be an educating and amusing game at the same time?

Design brief:
We are making a marble run game for early elementary. It would answer the U.Q because by building, and playing around with that marble run game they would learn and sophisticate skills.

====For what age group is a marble game suitable? This type of marble game is suitable for Elementary students, from kindergarten to grade 2 more specifically. I know this because on the market this type of game is aimed towards kids from 2 years old or above.====

Design Specification:
Test: Run your finger along the edges of the design to look if anything is too sharp or might hurt the kids using the game. Test: Put a marble on the run and see if it follows the track properly. Test: Ask the kids if they enjoy the game. Test: See if the marble run game collapses because of its own weight. Test: Ask the kids and teacher if they find it aesthetically pleasing.
 * ====Must be safe (no sharp edges, no toxic material).====
 * ====Must use gravity to make the marble follow its path.====
 * ====Must be fun.====
 * ====Must be stable, so must have stable support pieces of different heights.====
 * ====Must be aesthetically pleasing.====

Test: Check the properties of the materials used before using them.
 * Must not use any toxic materials.

Test: Put different type of pressure on the design and see if it resists most of the chocks.
 * Must be a strong, resistant wood.

Test: Put the product in a child's hand and see if he can hold it.
 * Must be handle by kids, so must not be too heavy, must be portable.

First Design:


The first design for our marble game is simple game, it has a few tracks, that are all identical, where the marble is put at the top and would go down following all the tracks where at the end it would pass on some rails leading it to a little lifter. The lifter would function once the kid playing with the game pulls a rope. When pulling the rope the elevator would go up until it reaches the top. Once the marble reached the top it would re-do the whole process just described, exercising a loop action.

I think that the advantages of this marble game is that it isn't dangerous because there isn't any pointy parts coming out. It can either be portable or attached on a wall depending on the client's decision. Although, this game is more aimed at kindergarten kids because of it simplicity, who I am sure will find the game fascinating because of its rope lifter.

Second Design:


The second design for our marble run game is a different type of design, it is a single way track, which the kids might see as a disadvantages. Although I think that the advantages/bonus compared to other designs is that this design has a large variation of base pieces and specialty pieces, the kids would find it more interesting and less boring. Another advantage about this design is that it can be assembled by the kids the way they like it. No pieces are attached to each other which mean that it doesn't require a certain way of assembling. The marble run doesn't collapse because it has many support pieces of different sizes.

Third design:


The third design for our marble run game is a interesting design, it contains a quite a few different pieces. There is no repetition of pieces, and has a marble lifter. The marble can be put anywhere to start the game, because this game has a loop action which makes it that it has no beginning and no end. Let's imagine the marble is put at the bottom of the lifter it would go up the lifter, follow a classic track that has a small slope. Then it would fall in a bowl with a hole in the middle at the bottom. Once it fell in the whole it would go down a classic track and then follow the track of a specialty piece. After it has been on the wires it would start all over again. This design is already assembled because of the wires that cannot be disassembled every time, it cannot be carried easily because of its weight. So to make it easier to carry and harder to break if this design is the final it would be attached to some sort of board.

A picture of the inside of the marble lifter might help to understand the way it works:

The marble lifter is made of several cam pieces in the inside, all having a different orientation. Each of these cams lifting a precise foot turning their circular motion into a linear motion. Knowing that all of these cams are orientated in a different way but are guided by a single crank, the results of the motion of all these cams, create a wave-like motion. The crank is turned by kids. On the picture it is the piece on the outside on the right side at the bottom.

This design is already assembled because of the wires that cannot be disassembled every time, it cannot be carried easily because of its weight. So to make it easier to carry and harder to break, if this design is the final one, it would be attached to some sort of board.

Design Chosen:
The final design we chose to create is the first design: __Why choosing this design?__

Because after research we have made, such as looking on the internet and asking teachers, we understood that this will fit best the teachers' preferences. It is easy to carry if wanted or it can be attached depending on the client's requests. It is simple to play, and not dangerous at all. All age groups can use this product, it is very light. It explains a lot of simple mechanical laws and explain the force of gravity when putting the marble. And it gives the kids a chance to see how pulleys work.It is a fun game for any age and helps develop hand-eye co ordination when using the pulley, and it gives the kids a chance to have fun at the same time.

Tools:

 * 1) Band Saw
 * 2) Table Saw
 * 3) Router machine
 * 4) Sander
 * 5) Drill bits of different size
 * 6) Measuring tape
 * 7) Ruler
 * 8) Wood Glue
 * 9) Brushes for the glue
 * 10) Tape

Other things needed:


 * 1) Work coat
 * 2) Ear protection
 * 3) Goggles
 * 4) Wood for the back board, lift and runs and sides of the marble run game
 * 5) Wires
 * 6) Marbles
 * 7) 2 plastic dowels

Instruction plan

 * Cut out a plank of wood of 44cm (length) by 30cm (width) with a thickness of 1cm. All edges should be straight and angles 90 degrees. Check with a combination square.


 * Get a piece of wood of approxiamtely 1m long, 3cm thick and 3cm wide. Then use the router machine all along the length, to create the track for the marble.


 * From this wood of 1metres long cut out 6 pieces of 11cm each. These 6 pieces will be used as tracks.


 * Cut out the rest of that wood in 2 pieces of 14 cm. These 2 pieces will be used as tracks.


 * Glue all those tracks to the plank of wood that is used as back board.


 * Cut out a small wood cube, more of a rectangular shape.


 * Drill this "cube" with drill bits of 6.5mm.


 * Once the holes done, cut the cube in two in the middle of its thickness.


 * Adjust the holes of the top piece by drilling with 7mm drill bits so that it can slide properly on the dowels, this piece will act as the lift.


 * Carve the lift piece in a way that the marble gets stuck when coming in.


 * Fixed the dowels in the bottom part of the "cube".


 * Pass the top part of the "cube" through the dowels.


 * This whole piece will be considered as the lift.


 * Glue the lbase piece of the lift to the back board.


 * Create a rottary piece that will be attached at the top, it will serve as a pulley. This is where the rope will be passed in.


 * Cut out 2 rectangular pieces. One will go just under the disc and is drilled just enough for the rope to pass through, this is where will will put the rope and the second one goes on top of the lift so that it can slow the lift from going even higher.


 * Attach the rope to the lift and pass it in the rottary piece at the top and through the little rectangular piece.


 * Use the two wires curved just enough for the marble to pass on without falling. Attach them both at the end of the last track piece and attach the other part to the lift.


 * Attach the small planks to the edges of the marble run game.

END OF THE INSTRUCTIONS.

TIMELINE FOR PRODUCTION:
PRODUCT ACCOMPLISHED
 * 1) __March 25__: Cut out the back board and make sure all edges and angles are ok.
 * 2) __March 28__: Cut out i needed the 1mx 3cmx 3cm piece. Carve the tracks using the router machine, maximum 2cm wide.
 * 3) __April 9__: Cut out 6 pieces of 11cm and 2 pieces of 14cm out of the piece used in the previous step.
 * 4) __April 11__: Get the two dowels and cut them both precisely 35cm. Create the based (not moving) piece for the lift, and the moving piece. Curve the piece and drill both, based and moving pieces.
 * 5) __April 18:__ Continue working on the lift mechanism and finish what was started on the 11th.
 * 6) __April 22:__ Tape the tracks to the backboard and re arrange them if needed untill the marble goes down all tracks perfectly withouth falling or going to fast.
 * 7) __April 24:__ Keep on working on arranging the tracks and glue them to the back board.
 * 8) __April 26:__ Put the dowels in the base piece of the lift and make sure it doesn't get lose or bend. Drill the top piece with a drill bit of 7mm. Pass the top piece in the dowels and make sure it goes down perfectly, without any problems. Attach the circular piece at the top of the back board.
 * 9) __April 30th:__ Attach everything if working properly with no problem
 * 10) __May 2:__ Attach the rope to the moving piece of the lift (the moving one), pass it in the the disc and through the rectandular piece.
 * 11) __May 8:__ Check if everything is fine and adjust if needed.
 * 12) __May 10:__ Glue tracks to the back board
 * 13) __May 14:__ Glue lift and all the system going with it to the back board.
 * 14) __May 16:__ Check for last improvement, if needed.