Historically automaton's were all the rage in Greece for demonstrating scientific principles in mechanics, pneumatics and hydraulics. With the Renaissance and the accessibility of clockwork mechanisms – miniature animated characters became popular.

1860-1910 was the Golden age of automata – many created in Paris. Some could even write and draw using information carefully stored by the shape of intricate brass cams. It’s is exactly this technique we are going to explore – although with absolutely so sophistication or subtly.

Check out the snake. Turn the special ‘pencil’ drive shaft and the snake undulates in 6 main moves. One for each Cam in the drive train.

What are the parts?

There are three key parts. The first is a simple cam (a). This is a non circular shape which will move one of the prongs of our cam follower (b). The cam is cut out of foam core board and the cam follower from springy plastic.

The pencil (c) forms the drive shaft. To ensure the cam's rotate when we turn the pencil the shaft is 'keyed' by cutting away half it's width.

How to assemble?

The key step is to ensure the hole in the cams which the pencil will go through is rotated 60 degrees for each cam. This will ensure that at any one time during a full 360 degree of motion that there will always be activity in our snakes body.

The cams should be spaced slightly on the pencil shaft, and the cam follower pressed down onto the cams. When the asymmetrical part of the cam rotates to the top they will push the cam follower up.

Attach wires / rods to the end of the cam followers. This will drive up and down matching the motion. Then attach your snake body to the top of the wires / rods and you have a simple automaton!

Viola...