The goal of this project was to design a simple toy. I have always been endlessly fascinated with automatons toy. I took on the challenge of handcrafting a man riding a bike automaton with a hand crank.

I started with sketches of not just the overall scene but also the breakdown of the elements. The sketches allowed the design of the mechanics to become simplified.

The final prototype was made from various plywood thicknesses, wooden dowels, and brass rods. To keep the handmade look, the main figure and the bike were almost cut by hand using only a coping saw and a file.

​Further iterations of the toy would be made with a laser cutter to include higher tolerances in the mechanical mechanism to ensure proper movement. Although this would take away from the handmade look, an entire paint job would be used to make the scene come alive.