Toy Collaboration Project
Spring 2019
Purpose - The goal of this project was for mechanical engineering, human development, and graphic design students to collaborate in the production of a children's toy. Our toy, "Loads of Fun" focused on children 2-3 years old, as it promotes their cognitive and motor skill development.
Overview - Our toy, "Loads of Fun" focused on children 2-3 years old, as it promotes their cognitive and motor skill development. The aim of the game is to organize all of the clothing pieces back into the toy dresser before time runs out.
Early Design - In the early stages of the toy's development, our team was challenged with designing a mechanism for the "Make a mess" portion of the game. During this time, the child would pull a handle and all the toy pieces would come spilling out of the drawers due to a trap door mechanism.
Final Design - After altering the toy design, our team agreed on this final design. The toy featured a one drawer system which had three individual compartments with trap doors. This would be achieved through a torsional spring / knob lever system. The toy pieces would fall from their compartment and travel down a slide which empties out on the floor.
Engineering Components - In order for the toy to operate safely and properly, we integrated a few engineering design components. This included torsional springs in a self closing hinge, knob lever system, and a roller track guide.
Final Presentation - At the end of the semester, our group presented our toy in front of faculty, parents, and children of the Merrimack College community. This was a great opportunity to all come together and showcase the hard work each group put in throughout the semester.
Pamphlet Presentation - As an extra step, I prepared a pamphlet for my Machine Design course. This pamphlet outlines all of the machine design elements that we learned in the classroom and how some of them applied to the creation of our product.
Full Report - To view a more detailed report of the project, click the button to the left.