Tangram Puzzles
This was a small initiative that I joined, where I was tasked with designing a timer for an engineering-related children's toy.
Final Product
Each of the Tangram puzzles resemble essential engineering tools. The product consisted of a foldable board with a card compartment, and a dry erase whiteboard lining the interior. The acrylic puzzles were laser cut and magnetic strips were glued to the back of each piece. Each puzzle was accompanied by a card containing the solution and a description of the tool's application. I was mostly involved with constructing the timer, which I created individually (see below).
3d Printed Timer
The timer I created using SolidWorks is shown in the photos to the left. A metal ball rolls down the helical path. Once the ball reaches the bottom, the cylinder can be flipped to restart the time. I chose this design because it only required a 3D printer to create it and it's also fun for the users to play with!
There are many improvements that can be made to the design. A ball with less density could increase the amount of time it takes to reach the bottom. If the weight of the ball is decreased, however, the path would need to be smoother to avoid the ball getting stuck. This could be remedied by adding a smooth lining to the path, flattening defects that were created by the printer.