What is the purpose of your device/toy, how does it function, and who is your user?
The toy that we are going to make is an elastic band ornithopter. It is designed to have the function of mimicking the flying motion of a bird by flapping its wings. The mechanism behind this is that it has a rotating propeller attached to the wings and to an elastic band that is connected its body. By rotating the handle on the propeller, the user will be able to twist the elastic band to store elastic potential energy. Then, when the user releases the handle and send the ornithopter into the air, the stored potential energy will instantly convert to kinetic energy, powering the twisted elastic band to unwind. This rotating movement will cause the attached wings to flap up and down, thus, allowing the ornithopter to fly in the air.
This toy will be targeting children predominantly in the age range of 6-12. Children in this age range are more likely to be interested in this kind of more advanced flying toy, meanwhile being mature enough to avoid getting hurt or easily breaking it.
What is the environmental impact of your product and is it durable and safe?
Our product is mostly environmentally friendly because it does not produce any pollutants or emissions harmful to the air. Additionally, apart from the wires, the main materials (rubber band, paper and wood) that will be used to build the product are all made from biodegradable and renewable resources, such as trees and saps of rubber tree. Additionally, since it’ll be a very light-weighted flying toy that does not have a sharp propeller like that of a helicopter, it is considerably safe and is unlikely to be capable of causing harms to its users. However, because the materials are mostly soft and fragile, and the components of the ornithopter will also be cut into thin pieces to reduce the mass, the product can be less durable.
What precedents inspired you? What did you take away from them & how did it inform your choices?
I was inspired by DIY flying butterflies and bird-shaped ornithopters that I found on YouTube. Both of these products share a similar mechanism—twisting rubber bands to store elastic potential energy that can later convert kinetic energy to power the flying motion. This became the central idea that I am applying to my product. Furthermore, by looking at the materials that they use to make the flying motion successful, which is to use thin pieces, I also made the choice to use light-weighted materials, such as papers, instead of cardboards.
How are you making your product original and/ or using creativity?
We’ll be changing the shape of the ornithopter into that of a peacock (mainly using the colors blue and green), so that it could have a cuter and more colorful look. We believe that this creative appearance is likely to appeal to the preferences of young children.