GEARS

SCISSOR

SLIDER

RAMP

PULLEY

TENTACLE

• Cardboard
• Straw
• String

How to make it

1

4

2

3

Cut the cardboard into a long rectangle

Bend the cardboard into segments (about 1-inch long)

Cut the straw into half-inch pieces and hot glue them into the center of each segment

Thread the string through the straw pieces and secure it by tying or glueing to the top of the cardboard

SPINNER

CLAW

How to make it

1

2

Fold the triangular column on the perforations. Glue the triangle caps onto each end.

Glue two hook pieces together to make a wider/ stronger hook. Repeat three times.

How to make it

3

4

Glue the smaller round piece onto a larger piece. Slide a hook onto the small wood dowel. Glue into the notch. Glue on the larger cap.

Slide each of the three longer cardboard strips through the holes in the claws.

How to make it

5

6

Put the wood dowel through the holes in the triangular column, then the claw piece. Glue the circular cap onto the top of the dowel and claw piece.

Glue the center of the smaller cardboard strip onto the side of the triangle. Sandwich the ends of the long cardboard strip inside this piece. Repeat on each side.

CARDBOARD

• Readily available
• Easy to manipulate
• Strong

Corrugation

CARDBOARD



Structural in one direction and bendable in the other

Bendable one direction

TOOLS

CUTTING TECHNIQUES

Cutting

Straight

Cutting

Curves

SHAPING TECHNIQUES

Shaping:

Bending

Shaping:

Faceting

Shaping:

Score + Bend

Straight

Shaping:

Score + Bend

Curve

Shaping:

Score + Bend

Shaping:

Layering

JOINERY

Joining:

Hinge

Joining:

Hinge

Joining:

Braces

Joining:

Tabs

Joining:

Tabs

Joining:

Slotting

Joining:

Slotting

Joining:

Tabs/

Notching

Joining:

Tabs/

Notching

Joining:

Butt Joint

Joining:

Brads

Joining:

Skewer

Joining:

Skewer

Joining:

Flange

Joining:

Strap

COOL CARDBOARD PROTOTYPES

Deep Sea Bots Studio

COOL CARDBOARD PROTOTYPES

Responsive Architecture Studio

؜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

Resources