Take a peek inside automaton mechanics! Engineer a hand-cranked, wooden automaton that makes a marble climb stairs. Learn about other fascinating automatons in history and build your own.
 
Includes a step-by-step video tutorial link, illustrated blueprint instructions, all the materials, and a special-edition Tinker Zine magazine to discover the secrets of other machine toy projects.

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Wooden Automaton

Engineer a hand-cranked, wooden automaton that makes a marble climb stairs. Explore the gears and cams that make the mechanics work.

Wooden Automaton | KiwiCo

Get animated with a moving-picture machine that you build yourself, and turn still images into amazing animations! Discover the tricks of perception that allow your brain to “see” motion when looking at rapidly-shifting stills. Explore the clever camera tricks that make classic animated films so lively, then create scenes using an optical illusion called a moiré pattern. When the movement hits your eye, that’s a-moiré!

Animation Machine

Build a moving-picture machine and turn drawings into amazing animations!

Animation Machine | KiwiCo

Launch an interest in STEM and engineer a working trebuchet. Experiment with aim and angles by adjusting the weight in your trebuchet. Explore the science of levers and how they help machines (like seesaws and trebuchets) harness the force of gravity and lift heavy weights. Ready, aim, and fire — with physics! 
Includes illustrated blueprint instructions, materials, and a special-edition Tinker Zine magazine to learn more about awesome launching machines.

Trebuchet

Trebuchet | KiwiCo

Explore engineering solutions that changed the way we do things - from viewing pictures to throwing heaving things. 

Animation Machine - Get animated with a moving-picture machine that you build yourself, and turn still images into amazing animations! Discover the tricks of perception that allow your brain to “see” motion when looking at rapidly shifting stills. Explore the clever camera tricks that make classic animated films so lively, then create scenes using an optical illusion called a moiré pattern. 

Automaton - Take a peek inside automaton mechanics! Engineer a hand-cranked, wooden automaton that makes a marble climb stairs. Learn about other fascinating automatons in history and build your own. 

Trebuchet - Launch an interest in STEM and engineer a working trebuchet. Experiment with aim and angles by adjusting the weight in your trebuchet. Explore the science of levers and how they help machines (like seesaws and trebuchets) harness the force of gravity and lift heavy weights. Ready, aim, and fire - with physics!

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Engineering Machines

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Wooden Automaton

Animation Machine

Trebuchet