WHAT WE ARE DOING

WHY WE ARE DOING IT

A little robot that moves on a T-shirt and draws

to learn how movement can be used as a form of artistic expression through kinetic art.

The design process will include six steps:

THE PROCESS

Look at past examples to get inspired

Precedent Research

Brainstorm ideas and sketch your machines movement in three frames

Conceptualization

Bring your prototype sketch to life by building a cardboard model that recreates your movement using simple materials and mechanisms.

Model Making

A good example of signals are "the launch of chatGPT" or "the fall of the iconic tunnel tree redwood" and good examples of drivers would be "artificial intelligence" or "climate change"

Add a touch of interactivity to your model by adding electronics to bring your machine's movement to life.

Interactivity Integrated

Then, identify signals (glimpses of the future we already see today) and drivers (what made the signal possible)



1

2

3

4

5

~10 min

~20 min

~1 to 3 hrs

~ 0 min

~10mins

Documentation

Take a video of your machine in motion painting your Tshirt and turn it into a gif

A precedent is a real-world example or project that you can research to better understand ideas related to your work.

Explore the examples in the toolbox and analyze how each machine moves. Focus on how the movement works, which components are used, and what makes each one interesting.

Precedent Research

1.

MATERIALS

Precedent Research

As pairs:

Go to the toolbox folder and you will find a library of various ocean creatures.

Select 1 project and answer the following questions on a sheet of paper:

1. What is the primary function of the drawing machine you studied?
2. In what ways do you find the machine innovative or creative?
3. Can you identify any unique materials or technologies used in the machine?

1.

~10 mins

In brainstorming, students collectively generate ideas that will shape the concepts for their group projects. They typically begin by listing ideas individually, then come together to share and discuss them using a pin-up brainstorming board filled with writing, drawings, Post-it notes, and lively conversation.

1 - ENCOURAGE WILD IDEAS

2 - SUSPEND JUDGMENT

4 - BUILD ON IDEAS

5 - BE VISUAL

3 - GO FOR QUANTITY

Wild ideas can often give rise to creative leaps.

Don’t shoot down someone else’s idea.

Aim for as many ideas as possible.

Build and expand on the ideas of others.

Sketch your ideas.

MATERIALS

Conceptualization

A. Brainstorming

What kind of movement will your machine use?

Answer each question and combine the answers to get your final idea!

1. Will it spin? Shake? Roll? Swing?
2. Will the whole machine move, or just the pen?
3. What is the movement : circular? random? straight? wavy? dotted?
4. What draws or makes the mark? (makers, paint...)

Examples

1. Spin + Pen Arm + Repeated Circle + Markers= A Drawing Fan
2. Shake + Whole Machine + Random+ Markers = A Box with a vibrating motor and markers taped to the sides

2.

~10mins

Sketching in design thinking is a quick and visual way to explore, communicate, and develop ideas. It helps designers think through problems, test concepts, and share their thoughts with others—without needing polished drawings. Sketches can be rough, but they’re powerful tools for brainstorming, prototyping, and collaboration.

Conceptualization

2.

B. Sketching

Frame 1: Setup

Draw what your machine looks like before it starts moving. Show the parts: the drawing tool, moving parts, and structure.

Frame 2: In Motion

Draw your machine in action. Show what’s moving, how it moves, and how the drawing tool interacts with the surface.

Frame 3: The Mark It Makes

Draw or show the kind of art your machine creates on the page.

~20mins

MATERIALS

How to Diagram

• Use multiple sketches in sequence
• Use arrows and text to explain
• Use different views (top, side, etc.)

Prototyping is the process of turning your sketches and ideas into physical models that you can test and improve. It starts with drawing your concept, then building simple versions using materials to explore how it moves or works. Prototyping helps you test mechanisms (how parts move or connect) and kinetics (how motion happens), so you can find what works and what needs fixing.

Model Making

3.

You will first select choose 1-2 mechanisms that your machine would use to create the art. Then you will recreate the mechanisms using lo-fi materials.

For example

1. A swinging motion that can be used to drip or drag paint
2. Rotating Arm – A spinning part that can draw circles or spirals (e.g., like a spirograph or spinning marker).
3. Crank and Arm – A hand-turned crank that moves a pen back and forth (like an old sewing machine).

ACTIVITY MATERIALS

Cardboard

Colored Acetate

Bristol Papers

Zip-ties

Straws

Metal Ruler

Pencil 

Markers 

Cutting Blade

Masking Tape

Hot Glue Gun

String

Brads

Popsicles and wooden skewers

CARDBOARD TECHNIQUES: SHAPING

Bending

Scoring

Curving

Faceting

Layering

Hinging

CARDBOARD TECHNIQUES: JOINERY

Brads

Flanges

Brace

Skewer

Bend

Hinge

Slots

Butt Joint

CARDBOARD TECHNIQUES: Mechanism

Gears

Scissor lift

Grabbing

Waving

Tentacle

Curving

Cam & Follower

Crank & Slider

Model Making

3.

Find all the resources for basic prototyping techniques and mechanisms in the toolbox!

Model Making

3.

Student Examples

Desk Critiques

Group Feedback

Kinds of Feedback

There are three forms of feedback. Understanding these can help us understand the conversations we have with our teams and improve our own ability to react to and use feedback to strengthen our designs.



Reaction-Based

Feedback

Direction-Based

Feedback

Question-based Feedback

X

X



Feedback time!

Teachers are going to move around the class and give feedback to each group!

Make sure you have your research, sketches, and prototype.

Interactivity is when your design can respond to people or the environment. It means your project doesn't just sit still—it can move, light up, make sound, or react when someone touches it, presses a button, or gets close. Adding interactivity makes your design more engaging and dynamic, turning it into something that can communicate or perform.

Interactivity Integrated

4.

Next, you’ll add electronics to power your mechanisms and bring them to life—this is where interactivity begins, letting your project move.

Interactivity Integrated

4.

Learn about motors in the "electronics" folder in the toolbox.

؜For your machine to spin (like a rotating arm, spinning platform, or turning a marker)...

→ Use a DC motor

Attach the motor directly to the moving part's axis (like a cardboard wheel, platform, or marker arm).

Interactivity Integrated

4.

؜Mechanims that work with DC Motors (Spinning/Continuous Motion)

1. Rotating Arm: Great for spin art or drawing rotating patterns
2. A simple arm attached directly to the motor shaft
3. Crank and Slider: Good for making an arm draw waves or zig-zags
4. A crank attached to the motor turns, which pushes a connected sliding arm back and forth
5. Cam + Follower: Perfect for gentle bouncing or lifting motions
6. A cam (off-center disk) spins on the motor shaft, pushing a cardboard arm up and down as it rotates

Interactivity Integrated

4.

Examples for DC motor

Document your work!

5.

Place your t-shirt flat and pin it from each side so it doesn't move. Place your moving bot on the t-shirt. Take a photo and record a video of your project moving and turn it into a gif.

End of Challenge!