Further Tilt Table Details: Avatar Themed Tilt Table.

Our students have been working on a significant project which we have featured on this blog, being the Marble Maze Tilt Table.   We have previously detailed the process and the details of the 'Star Wars' themed table.   

The second table is the 'Avatar' themed table based on the movie franchise of the same name.    As we have mentioned previously this year long student creation project has been an opportunity for students to combine some of the hardware options that are available to students at our school.

Shown in the photograph on the left is the 'tree' that is the centrepiece from the movie which is a feature of the table.  It was designed by students (using Tinkercad) and then subsequently spray painted.  

Left: The laser cutter has been used to create the MDF pieces that are shown on the left (which have been then spray painted turquoise).    The 3D Printed aspects in addition to the tree include a tilt table (which is in grey) and then the parallel bars which have been printed with the dark green filament.  

The background media which is shown below the different items has been printed on the school sticker machine.   This will allow the 3D Printed items to be mounted onto the base, with the MDF then added to supplement it and guide the ball throughout the maze.

We have previously shown the bridge aspect of the design and the table which is another major feature of this table.  You can view the details about this part of the project here.

All of the parts of the project have been designed by the students (with the exceptions of the bridge as has been detailed in the seperate post).    These have been all measured, designed and investigated by the students with prototypes created first in cardboard or paper and then having test prints completed.  In nearly all cases the test prints have morphed into the final project prints.

The final aspect of the technology that is being used is the sticker machine.  This has been used to produce the media on display on the table.    You can see examples shown in each of the photos with this post, with the characters of the movie/franchise layered onto each other to show details - the sticker machine is extremely important as the surface that the board travels over needs to be robust enough to allow continuous play without there being a worry about the layer of the playing surface suffering damage.

There will be additional posts about this process and product as it nears completion later in the year.  Further construction details are available if you require them as we can put you in contact with the teacher who is responsible for this project.   You can also view more of his incredible work via the Youtube page that houses his projects here.

Marble Maze/Tilt Table

One of the significant students pieces of project work this year is a high level marble maze - this is being produced with two themes one a 'Star Wars' themed Maze which is subtitled 'Escape from the Death Star'.  The second is produced around the "Avatar Movie' with the theme and game play being produced around the setting of the movie.  

A cabinet is being made for this item so that the two tables will be inter changeable and table to be taken and removed (having one replace the other).   In the example on the left of the Star Wars Maze you can see the centre piece of the 'Death Star' which was produced with the 3D Printer and the various Storm Trooper Helmets that can be seen in the photograph are purple, they are having a light placed within them to light up when the ball rolls past them.  There are additional switches which are placed and designed to cause movement and sound to occur when the ball rolls over them.  The school laser cutter has also been involved in this project and used to produce the material to guide the ball around the maze (in the form of the barriers or sides)

The Avatar themed table (shown left) has two distinct sections with a bridge the connector between the two.  The bridge design was something that ideally a student would have designed however given time constraints and the need for this to be exact and work in conjunction with the table this was an 'elite' level project (one that was completed by a staff member and not the students concerned in this incident.  The dimensions of the table and the construction of the table is where the 3D Printer came into its element as it was ideally suited to produce this piece of the table and ensure that it worked perfectly.

The bridge (shown left) was designed in Tinkercad and printed using a Snapmaker Printer.   The bridge measured 160mm wide and had a length of 200mm for the ramp at it longest part, where the ball begins to exit and make its way down the ramp.   The print was also made to include details such as the screw holes (which can be seen in the photo with which it is being secured to the base).   It goes without saying that producing this piece of 3D Printing to work in conjunction with the table makes it a feature (as does the 'Death Star' part of the main Star Wars table).   

The print took eight hours on a fast print setting.   The print was made 'from scratch' by the adult concerned to create a part that fitted perfectly with the table.   This is a significant ongoing process and project for a group of students at our school and this will be continue to be updated as it moves towards completion before the end of the school year.

This view of the 'Death Star' table shows the various components near their final stage of completion.  It includes an external section formed by tubing on the left hand side, the centre piece being the Death Star itself and the Storm Trooper helmets in purple.   The laser cut sections are clearly visible (the MDF has been spray painted white).  

The students concerned are fans of the original Star Wars movies and have followed an process where they have designed the table based around ideas.

The have created a maze with switches, programmed the switches (using scratch), an extensive design and creation process followed by prototyping and creation.   Extensive game creation and testing with peers and critical thinking about themselves.

Note - the brown section on the front left I am reliably informed represents the planet of Tatooine from Star Wars which is the first part of Episode Four/Star Wars/A New Hope where Luke Skywalker lives and then meets Obi Wan Kenobi.