NuVu brings creative education to students around the world.

Our Core

Mission

Today's Session Goals

1. Build foundational knowledge about when and how to deploy moving parts in the prototyping process

1. Provide overview of cardboard mechanism prototyping techniques

1. Explore integration of electronics and motors into projects and what is needed

1. Provide resources for future use

INSPIRATION: Manual Movement

INSPIRATION: Motor Driven

MATERIALS

؜These mechanism and movement principles apply to all materials, but for today we will focus on the incredible things you can do with humble cardboard!

Considerations:

1. How can the cardboard's corrugation orientation make it more structural, or allow for the pieces to bend in the correct orientations?
2. Can the cardboard be layered, rolled or scaled to make it perform better?
3. Cardboard has a thickness- take this into account when designing connecting parts and mechanisms

CONNECTIONS

؜Tape it, Glue it, Pin it, Screw it...

Considerations:

1. Does the connection need to be static or mobile?
2. Is the connection permanent, or do you want the pieces to be able to be disassembled?
3. How much surface area is in the connection and can I add extra pieces (braces, brackets, etc.) to strengthen the joint?

HIGH-FIDELITY

LOW-FIDELITY

. . .

We usually think of cardboard as a material for low-fi prototypes. It is cheap and easy to try ideas out with.

HIGH-FIDELITY

LOW-FIDELITY

. . .

In some cases, though, cardboard can be a high-fi material, where more advanced building methods and mechanisms can be used

Structure

+

Mechanism

+

Electronics/

Motors

(optional!)

؜Some Cool Mechanisms

+

؜Project Examples

How can we make moving parts out of cardboard?

The following slides show simple machines and a few mechanisms, including templates for their parts and gifs of their completed assemblies

SCISSOR

GEARS

SLIDER

RAMP/ SCREW

PULLEY

TENTACLE

• Cardboard
• Straw
• String

SPINNER/ WHEEL AND AXLE

CLAW

Grabbing

How to make it

1

4

2

3

5

6

Expanding/ Fanning

How to make it

1

4

2

5

3

6

How to make it

Waving

How to make it

1

4

2

3

5

6

Oscillating

How to make it

1

4

2

3

NuVu automata!!

NuVu automata!!

Structure

+

Mechanism

+

Electronics/

Motors

(optional!)

Introductions

؜1

؜2

؜3

4

Making Things Move 101

؜Flow Chart: Make it Move!

؜Motors + Boards: a Primer

Simple Materials, Complex Interactions

Servo Motors Projects

DC Motors Projects

Motors

Servo Motors

DC Motors

1. Rotate to specified location, 180 degress (or less)
2. Require a microcontroller (like Arduino) to function
3. Simple to program
4. Lightweight / cheap

1. Rotate 360 degrees
2. Can run using just a battery (and switch)
3. Require microcontroller for interactivity/ controlled motion
4. Higher power

Motors

DC Motors

؜Simple Circuit

1. Power, switch, motor
2. Great for endless rotation

؜DC + Arduino

1. Allows for Interactivity
2. Hardwired w/ Mosfet

or Motorshield

Microcontrollers

Simple computers built for interactivity

Arduino

Microbit

Allows for wider-range of sensor and motor integration

More difficult programming language (C / C++)

More of a closed system / harder to integrate certain sensors and motors.

Supports block coding and text-based coding in Python.

Introductions

؜1

؜2

؜3

4

Oct 29, 2025

Making Things Move 101

؜Flow Chart: Make it Move!

؜Motors + Boards: a Primer

Simple Materials, Complex Interactions

Q+A

Let's discuss your questions!

Do you have projects in mind?

Resources