Interdisciplinary Unit – Research
My Future Machine: Seal Toy
1) Product Identification and Description
a)
i)
My future machine is seal toy. Seal toy will look like seal. The seal will be image of seal that will be print out. And, simple machines will be behind image of seal. Cardboard will be used to support seal toy. Also, syringe will be used to move cardboard up and down. Seal will clap hands and nod their head or shaking head. Seal will clap hands by using simple machine that 2 stick moving right and left. And, seal will shake his head by using simple machine
ii)
My seal toy will be toy for young children. My seal toy will be good toy for young children. Seal will clap hands and seal will nod or shake its head and seal will be on cardboard. Also I will stick 2 syringes underneath cardboard to move cardboard up and down.
iii)
I chose “Seal Toy” as my future machine. Main reason that I chose “Seal Toy” as my future machine is that my favorite animal is seal and I always thought it will really looks funny when seal clap its hand and do all different kinds of show.
b)
This is drawing of my future machine, which is seal toy. As you see, seal is clapping and cardboard is supporting seal. Because, seal will be made with paper and that paper image is unable to stand properly, it will fall down without cardboard. Also, 2 syringes will be stick underneath cardboard to move cardboard up and down.Mechanisms, which are not included in my drawing, will be behind image of seal. 3 mechanisms will be used in my future machine. They will be used to nod seal’s head and clap its hands and moving cardboard.
2) Target Client/Consumer
a)
My client will be a young child. I want my client to be children, because purpose of my future machine is toy, and I think my future machine can’t be used for any other things except for toy. I want to consume my future machine to child who likes seal. I want to sell my “Seal Toy” to person who likes seal because, I want my consumer to use “Seal Toy” affectively. I don’t want consumer to break or destroy it.
Young children will benefit from my future machine by having fun with my “Seal Toy”. Also, they will get some knowledge about how mechanism works in my machine. Back of my machine will be shown so consumer will be able to see how mechanisms work at back of the “Seal Toy”. Lastly, young children will benefit from my future machine. Seal will clap if someone moves mechanism for clapping and seal will nod its head if someone moves mechanisms for nodding. So, basically they will have opportunity to move mechanisms and learn scientific principle used in each mechanisms. And, learn which one makes something move.
b)
i) Environmental
My product “Seal Toy” brings positive environmental impacts. My product “Seal Toy” is a toy. Young children can use it. “Seal Toy” might be substituted for children toy. My “Seal Toy” only requires paper and syringes. The damage that my product brings is cutting trees. But, like other famous toy, like toy helicopter and toy car requires plastic, wood, paper etc. lots of different kinds of materials. These kinds of toys damage trees and our environment. So, I think my product will bring less damage to our environment if it becomes famous toy and if it substituted for children toys.
But, my product also brings negative impacts to environment. My product will be made out of paper and cardboard and syringes. Cardboard and paper are originally from tree. It means, that we need to cut trees to make paper. Cutting, trees is damaging environment. Trees prevent us from landslides and provide us oxygen.
ii) Social
My product “Seal Toy” brings positive environmental impacts. Some species of seals are endangered species. For example, northern fur seal is endangered species. My product “Seal Toy” might save and protect northern fur seal by informing seals to people. People will start to concern about seals by using my toy. So, I think my “Seal Toy” informs people that some species of seals area endangered species.
But, my product also brings negative impacts to environment. One obvious instinct of young children follows things. For example, if someone dances in front of children. They follow dancing. So, if young children play with my product and if my seal claps, they will clap as well, and it will cause noise pollution
3) Market Research/Focus Group
These are questions about my product, and my clients were my sister and my brother, my friend Jessica.
Question 1) Do you like my idea of building “Seal Toy”? Why?
Sister) I like your product because, it’s very creative and unusual.
Brother) Yes, because I like idea that seal is clapping.
Jessica) Yes, I like your product because it’s very cute, so that children will really like this.
Father) I like it because it can make active action of seal.
Question 2) How can I improve my product?
Sister) I think you should cover syringes with pretty paper or stickers to make it more look like toy.
Brother) You can improve your product by telling how you made this, how it works and where you get the idea.
Jessica) Well… I think your product is very good. But for me, if you put more interesting things, then it will be better.
Father) it will be better if you make more durable and long lasting product.
Question 3) Do you think people will buy my product? Why?
Sister) I think people will buy your product because you have your own style in your product and you even thought idea of using syringes to move cardboard up and down.
Brother) Some people may buy your product or may not. But, I’m sure that children will buy your product.
Jessica) I think so, because it’s really good study for the seals and animals.
Father) Some customer who has kids (from 4~8 years) would buy it because kids like toy on which animal move.
Question 4) How do you think it’s going to help people?
Sister) It can help people to decorate their houses.
Brother) Kids will be happy about your product.
Jessica) I think some seals are the trouble, so if you build this and if this product becomes famous it will help with saving the seals.
Father) kids will enjoy the product.
Question 5) How big should it be? Why?
Sister) I think height of seal should be about 30cm and area of cardboard should be about 40-45 cm2
Brother) I think height of your product should be about 13cm and 9cm wide.
Jessica) I think it shouldn’t be bigger than 20cm and I think it will look cute if it’s small.
Father) It can be 15cm * 15cm and this size will be proper to kids
Question 6) What materials should I use to build my product? Please be specific.
Sister) For seal, plastic will be great, but you can use thick paper of flexible paper if plastic is too hard. You can make shape of seal with thick paper and flexible paper and then use wood dowels to support seal. And, I think wood will be better than cardboard. And , I think you should use soft paper to make seal or you can stick cotton on seal.
Brother) A hard paper or plastic.
Jessica) well you really should use plywood and syringe and maybe toy for the seal? or just picture of it.
Father) Eco-friendly plastic or wood will be the best. If not, strong Paper can be used.
Question 7) What do you like about my product? Why?
Sister) I really like that your using syringes to move cardboard up and down. Like shaking tail of nodding head could be thought easily but, idea that using syringe is very unique.
Brother) I like your using lots of mechanisms
Jessica) I like that you put seals and made seals claps and moves up and down.
Father) I think it will be really cute if seal claps and move its tail.
Question 8) What do you not like about my product? Why?
Sister) I think you should tell us which mechanism you’re going to use to move tail and how it’s going to work.
Brother) Nothing.
Jessica) I still wonder with the syringe, then where does the air goes?
I don’t like the part that moves up and down because it will really hard to move the seal up because there are two syringes to put up so there will be many energy waste.
Father) Nothing.
Question 9) Imagine you’ve bought my product how are you going to use it? What is it going to be?
Sister) I’m going to use it as decoration of my house.
Brother) I would give it to children as a toy.
Jessica) If I buy your machine, I will give my sister, or my baby cousin to play with or than, I’m just going use this machine for interior props.
Father) For my kids toy.
Question 10) Who do you think will benefit from my product?
Sister) I think children will benefit from my product by having fun.
Brother) Moms who have children.
Jessica) I think you will benefit by selling your product.
Father) Kids will enjoy the product. Kids can be accustomed to animal and learn how machine moves.
4) Designing Your Mechanism: Anticipating Problems and Creating Solutions
a)
(1)
- In the future, I might get messed up with which materials am I going to use for my product.
- In the future, when the mechanisms might be bigger than image of seal. Then, it will looks weird because, then people will be able to see mechanisms.
- In the future, my product might be so heavy that 2 syringes are not able support my product.
- In the future, my printed seal toy image might be not appropriate for seal image and not able to have holes for the hands.
- In the future, 2 syringes might be in different sizes. 2 syringes will be located underneath cardboard. Cardboard will move up and down as I pull the 2 syringes. Which means, 2 syringes need to be in same size to make cardboard horizontal. Otherwise, cardboard will tilt.
- In the future, the seal image might not stick to the cardboard because it’s paper.
- In the future, my seal image might be ripped. Because, it’s very fragile.
b)
- In the future, I might get messed up with which materials am I going to use for my product.
Solution: I need to list materials that are required to build my product, through steps.
- In the future, when the mechanisms might be bigger than image of seal. Then, it will looks weird because, then people will be able to see mechanisms.
Solution: Then I might need to cover mechanisms with plywood or print image of seal bigger.
- In the future, my product might be so heavy that 2 syringes are not able support my product.
Solution: Then, I need to stick one more syringe under cardboard. So, in total 3 syringes might be required to support my product.
- In the future, my printed seal toy image that I’ve chose might be not appropriate for seal image and not able to have holes for the hands.
Solution: I need to choose another seal image that is looking front and able to have holes.
- In the future, 2 syringes might be in different sizes. 2 syringes will be located underneath cardboard. Cardboard will move up and down as I pull the 2 syringes. Which means, 2 syringes need to be in same size to make cardboard horizontal. Otherwise, cardboard will tilt.
Solution: Then I need to try to find 2 syringes that are in same sizes even their too short or too long.
- In the future, the seal image might not stick to the cardboard because it’s paper.
Solution: Then I need to curve paper to make prop for my seal image. Or I can stick thick paper to edge of seal image paper.
- In the future, my seal image might be ripped. Because, it’s very fragile.
Solution: I might need to stick thick paper with seal image paper or laminate the seal image with vinyl.
5) Innovation and Inspiration
a)
i)

ii.

Lever, pulley, wheel, rope and screw are used in Catapult. Lever is arm of catapult, that balance pouch and beam. And screw, was used to construct things, connect things. In catapult, wheel and axel let catapult move to different places. Also, pulley was used to pull levers and tie the rope down.
When the pouch reach to “a” angle sling releases. And, payload reach as well, sling pushes payload forward when the sling pulled backwards.
iii.)
Catapult can be use as tools to destroy or break things that don’t break easily with other simple tools. For example, if we put hard rock or hard thing as payload in catapult it can destroy building or mountain (if we do several times). So, in construction when they try to destroy things and build new things they can use catapult to destroy old building.
Catapult is not always effective. Catapult could be ineffective in some cases. For example, it can hurt people. Catapult is really useful but really dangerous tool as well. It can hurt people very easily. If someone gets hit by hard stone that person will probably die. Also, catapult is very big and heavy tool. It will be very hard to move them.
iv)
– Political
Catapult brings good impacts to politic. First, catapult is a weapon. It throw things, it can make hole on shield. When, war occurred between country and country they can use it as weapon to protect their country. For example, they can develop catapult more, and load nuclear bombs or other harmful substances on catapults and send it to other country. Also, countries that have a long history with catapult, they can use it as their political symbol of their country and scare other countries.
Catapult also brings bad impacts to politic. If government supply catapult to citizens with no limitation, there will be dispute and civil war. For example, antigovernment people might attack government with catapult. And, terrorists might try terror with catapult.
– Environmental
Catapult brings good impacts to environment. Catapult could be weapon but also can be use to break and destroy things. For example, in construction when people want to break old building and build new on they can use catapult as tool to destroy old building. There are lots of ways to destroy building. But, I think using catapult bring least damage to environment. To use catapult to break building we jut need, one strong catapult and strong payload to throw. It will not hurt environment in process of throwing rocks. It doesn’t bring any damage to environment except for materials used to make catapult.
But, catapult should be really big and strong in any uses. So, lots of strong woods will be cut out to build big and strong catapult. Then, the result is naturals disasters will get worse. Trees protect us from floods, hurricane and landslides.
i)
Catapult was the best example that contains lever, pulleys, rope and screw most simple machines. It shows me how I need to combine different kinds of simple machines effectively. And, by researching about catapult I learnt more about each simple machines and how they used.
6) Materials and Tools
i)
1. Brads

A small, thin wire nail with a small barrel-shaped head that is either symmetrical or form on one side only. It has small projection to one side of the head end.
2. Scissors

Scissors are hand-operated cutting instruments. Scissors are used for cutting various thin materials, such as paper, cardboard, metal foil, thin plastic, cloth, rope, and wire.
3. Tenon Saw

A Tenon Saw is the most used kind of backsaw. It is a medium sized saw and originally obtained its name from its use in cutting tenons for mortise and tenon joints in woodwork. The stiff piece of metal along the top of the blade (like all backsaws) helps prevent the blade from bending during use and the added weight adds another level of control to the saw.
4. Glue gun

Glue Gun also known as hot glue is, electrical adhesive used to stick things. And supplied in solid cylindrical sticks of various diameters. Glue gun heats up cylindrical canisters.
5. Hack Saw

A small saw used especially for cutting metal. A hacksaw is a fine-tooth saw with a blade held under tension in a frame, used for cutting materials such as metal or plastics.
6. Coping Saw

A coping saw is a type of hand saw used to cut intricate external shapes and interior cutouts in woodworking or carpentry. It is widely used to cut moldings to create coped rather than miter joints.
7. Steel Ruler

A ruler is an instrument used in geometry, technical drawing, printing and engineering/building to measure distances and/or to rule straight lines lines.
8. Screw Drivers

A screwdriver is a tool for driving screws or bolts with special slots, and sometimes for rotating other machine elements with the mating drive system. The screwdriver is made up of a head or tip, which engages with a screw, a mechanism to apply torque by rotating the tip, and some way to position and support the screwdriver
9. Hammers

A hammer is a tool meant to deliver an impact to an object. The most common uses are for driving nails, fitting parts, forging metal and breaking up objects.
10. File Saw

With a saw file, practice and a little instruction you can take any saw and turn it into a gem. This is the entire range of saw files for sharpening any kind of Western saw.
11. Engineers Square

An engineer’s square is the metalworkers’ equivalent of a try square. It consists of a steel blade inserted and either welded or pinned into a heavier body at an angle of 90°.
12. Craft Knife

The craft knife is a single bladed knife that easily cuts through a variety of different materials, making the task of engaging in craft projects much easier.
13. Glass Paper

Glass paper is paper coated with powdered glass or other abrasive material used for smoothing and polishing woods or other substances. Glass paper is made up glass fibers.
14. Wood

Wood is a hard, fibrous tissue found in many trees. It has been used for hundreds of thousands of years for both fuel and as a construction material.
15. Paper

Paper is material in thin sheets from the pulp of wood or other fibrous material. People, used paper to draw, write, printing or wrapping.
7) DESIGN BRIEF
a)
I am going to design and make a simple machine “Seal Toy” for young children. My product “Seal Toy” is toy, based on seal image and 3 mechanisms and it will amuse young children. My “Seal Toy” will amuse people because, it will shakes its tail and clap its hands using 2 mechanisms. “Seal Toy” will also move up and down. There will be plywood underneath seal, to support seal because seal is not able to stand still. And, 2 syringes will be located underneath. So, as I pull syringes up the plywood will go up as well, and seal will go up as well. 2 mechanisms, that make my seal claps its hands and shake its tail will be locate behind seal image. My product “Seal Toy” will be big as “Mac Book Pro (13inch)” monitor screen. It won’t be dangerous because it’s only made out of wood, paper and plastic. My product is very cheap and amusing so, I think my product will be suitable for young children.
8) SPECIFICATION
a)
Target Market
|
Young Children
|
Young children are going to be target market of my product. Young children will be appropriate because, my product is toy to make fun. And 5-7 is age when people like toys. |
Size
|
Height: 27cm, Width: 16.5cm
|
The height of my product will be 27cm. including all the materials like syringe, plywood and seal it’s about 27cm. Second, width of my product will be 16.5 cm. The width of my product will be the width of material that has biggest width. In my product, plywood has the longest width. And 16.5 are estimated value of width of plywood. |
Weight
|
1.2 kg (estimated value)
|
The estimated weight of my product was 1.2kg including plywood, 2 syringes and dowels, 2 mechanisms. |
Height
|
27cm
|
The height of my product will be 27cm. The sum of height of syringes, plywood and seal is about 27cm. |
Functions
|
The seal claps its hands and it shakes its tail.
|
The seal will clap its hands and shakes its tail using 2 mechanisms. |
Materials
|
Paper, Wood, Dowels, Syringes, Brads, Thick Paper
|
First, paper will be the main source for seal paper. Second, I will use plywood to support paper seal. Third I will use dowels to connect paper seal and plywood. Because, if I don’t seal toy will be unable to stand. Next, I will use syringes to move plywood up and down. Fifth, brads will be used for the mechanisms. Lastly, thick paper will be the mechanisms. It will be the one that moves. |
Tools
|
Scissors, Craft knife, Steel ruler, Glass paper and Glue gun, Coating Machine
|
First, I will use scissors to cut paper into Seal shape. Second, I will use Craft Knife to cut thick Paper to make mechanisms. Third, I will use steel ruler to measure height, length, size of my product and each materials. Next, I will use glass paper to smooth materials like wood. After, I finish cutting plywood to support seal I will rub the surface and edge of plywood to make it smoother. Fifth, I will use glue gun to stick things. For example, I’ll use glue guns to stick 2 syringes underneath plywood. Lastly, I might use coating machine to laminate Seal shaped paper. Because, it’s just paper it might get ripped so, I might use coating machine to laminate it. |
Quantity
|
1
|
Quantity of my product will be only 1. Because, this is kind of demonstration of my product. And, if I make like 10 and I realize that it’s not useful and nonproductive it’s just wasting time and materials. So, I will just make 1 to test my product. |
Aesthetic Appearance
(Shape, Color, Texture)
|
For each sections
|
The color of seal is going to be White. The texture of seal will be smooth. Because, it will be made out of paper
Plywood will be painted to purple if I have time left in create stage. And, the shape of plywood is going to be square. The texture of plywood will be rough because, it’s wood. But, it will be not very rough because, I will rub it with glass paper.
Color of 2 syringes will be blue. I will cover them with pretty yellow color papers to make it more childish.
Mechanisms will be shape of piece of paper and it will be white and thick. The texture of mechanisms will be same as paper. |
Cost
|
$5
|
The cost of my product will be 5 dollars. I think 5 dollars is appropriate for my product because, it’s normal toy and normal toy usually cost about $5. |
9) TESTING AGAINST SPECIFICATION list
a)
I need to make sure that my target market is Young Children. I will try my best to make it childish
I need to make sure that height of my product is 27cm and width is 16.5cm by measuring them with ruler. Or comparing size of my product with stuff that has 27cm height and 16.5cm width.
I need to make sure that weight of my product is about 1.2 kg. By measuring weight of my product using scale.
I can test that height of my product is 27cm by measuring length from the bottom of my product to top of my product.
I can test that seal shakes its tail and it claps its hands by using mechanisms. First, to make sure that it shakes its tail, I need to pull the stick that is part of mechanism that moves tail. If it moves by pulling the stick, I’d match my specification. Second, to make sure that seal claps its hand, I need to pull the stick, that is part of mechanism that make seal claps its hands. If seal claps its hands by pulling the stick, I’d match my specification.
I will wee if materials that I used to build my product, match with my specification. Or, I can make list of materials that I used to build my product during create stage.
I will ask Mr. Thorburn, am I using tools in my specification or if tool is suitable for each steps. Or, I can make list of tools that I used during create stage.
I can make sure that I’m building only 1 seal toy, by counting it. And, during create stage, I can count amounts of materials using. And make sure, I’m preparing only 1 for each material.
- Aesthetic Appearance (Shape, Color, Texture)
I will check aesthetic appearance of my product matches my specification by sending survey to people. And ask them if they think my product matches my specification.
I will calculate cost of all materials used in my product, plus my effort and make sure it’s about 5 dollars
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“WHAT AND WHERE ARE THE SIMPLE MACHINES IN A CATAPULT?” – Yahoo!7 Answers. Yahoo!, n.d. Web. 25 Sept. 2013.