Hello, and welcome to today's design and technology lesson.

My name's Mrs. Fletcher, and I'm here to help and guide you through your learning today.

Today's lesson is called "Test and Adapt Cam Mechanisms," and it's part of the Cams Automata unit.

In this lesson we'll get to find out why testing products is an important part of the design process, and how testing products can help us improve those products in the future.

So, let's have a look at what we'll be learning about today.

The outcome of today's lesson is, "I can test and adapt mechanisms," and we're going to use some existing automaton products with cam mechanisms to test and then adapt to make sure they're working to the best that they can.

You'll understand, by the end of the lesson, why testing is such an important part of that design process, and we'll be able to see for yourselves how making adaptations to a product can actually make it function better in the long run.

There are some keywords that we're going to come across in today's lesson, so let's have a look at them together, make sure we have a clear understanding of what they mean.

So, first of all, we've got the word "effective," and that's used to describe when something is working well, especially if it performs as you expected it to.

So if a product is effective, that means it's working as you expected it to.

Then we've got the word "function," and that's used to describe when something is working in a particular way, so that's the job that it's expected to do.

Then we've got the word "aesthetics," and this is a word that's used to describe the visual qualities of a product, that's how it looks.

Then we've got the word "usable," which just means it's able to be used.

And the word "durable," which is a word that's used to describe something that's hard-wearing and long-lasting.

There are two parts to today's lesson.

First of all, we're going to be looking at finishing techniques, and that's looking at those ways that we can finish a product so that it looks as we expected it to in our design, and it neatens up and tidies up, and deals with those visual qualities, those aesthetic qualities that we're going to be talking about.

Then we're going to be moving on to the second part of the lesson, which is where we get to test the product.

So this is where we get to test how it works.

Does it work as we intended it to, does it work as best as it can, and if not, what can we do to make changes to the product? So let's get started with that first section, finishing techniques.

A cam mechanism in a box frame can be finished to produce an effective automaton product.

The finished product should work well and perform as intended in the design.

A character or scene can be added to the followers, and this creates an animated scene which shows the movement produced by the cams in that cam mechanism underneath.

So here you can see on the diagram, we've got the characters at the top, which are connected to that cam mechanism via the followers.

And depending on what type of cam has been used in the mechanism, those characters will move in a certain way.

Taking time to consider the most suitable finishing techniques can maximise the effectiveness of the product.

So it means that we can make the best possible product that we can.

We can think about the materials that we use to make sure that it has the right look, the right colour, and is sturdy enough to stand up to the job we expect it to do.

We can think about how we join those materials.

We want any joins to be as neat and invisible as possible, but we want them to be able to hold up to use as well, that they need to be a sturdy join.

And we can think about whether we use double- or single-sided animations or characters on those followers, because that will affect how the automaton is viewed.

A sturdy material should be used to help the animated pieces maintain their structure.

So if we use something like a card stock, or a recycled card product, or a polystyrene, those are going to provide a stiff, sturdy material to keep those animated pieces in the right position and performing as they should.

A wide range of techniques can be used to improve the visual appearance or the look of a product.

So we need to make some decisions about what we're going to use to finish the product.

So we might need to think about whether we're going to use colours or paint, how we're going to apply that colour.

We might think about whether we're going to draw, or maybe print out, our animated scenes or characters.

And we might need to think about whether we're gonna add some collage or embellishments, that's extra things that might be added onto the characters.

We call this the aesthetic qualities of a product.

Quick check then.

Why should a sturdy material be chosen for the characters on the top of the automaton? Is it a, because they look effective? Is it b, because they're easy to make? Or is it c, because they help maintain structure? Pause the video and have a think.

Okay, what did you think? Well done, if you said it is to help maintain the structure.

A sturdy material will help those characters withstand the movement they're going to make.

The characters should be attached securely using a suitable product to ensure that they withstand those repeated movements that automatons make.

So we need to think about whether we use something like tape, which is quick to apply, but it's quite inaccurate and quite visible.

We might use something like glue, which is less visible, but the downside is it takes much more time to dry.

Or we might use something like a stapler, which is very quick, but again, visible.

So we need to make those decisions about what type of joining technique we're going to use.

Quick check.

What was the downside of using the glue to join materials? Was it a, "It's visible?" Was it b, "It takes time to dry?" Or was it c, "It's quick to do?" Pause the video, have a think.

Okay, well, if we're thinking about using glue to join materials, then we have to think about the fact that it takes time to dry, so that's a consideration.

Well done, if you chose that.

Okay, time for a task now in this first part of the lesson.

So this is where you're going to make the characters or scene that will go on top of your automaton product.

So, in order to make them, you need to think about the following things.

You need to think about a suitable material that you're going to make them from.

Remember, we wanted something sturdy that will stand up to those repeated movements that an automaton makes.

You need to think about how you're going to produce them.

So are you going to draw them? Print them out? Are you going to just cut them out, cut the shapes out freehand? Remember, if you're doing double-sided characters, you'll need twice as many so you can stick one on each side of each follower.

And you need to think about a suitable technique that you can use to add detail, or colour, or any extra decoration to those pieces as well.

When you've got your pieces made, I want you to think about how you're going to attach them to the followers.

So this is where you need to consider the joining technique you're going to use.

And when you've considered which one to use, I want you to securely attach them to the followers in your cam mechanism.

Pause the video, and come back when you've had a go at those two tasks.

Okay, welcome back.

How did you get on? Have you managed to make and attach your automaton pieces to the followers in an effective way? So you would've had to think about how many pieces you were making.

So if you were doing a single-sided design, you might have had one, two, or three characters or scenes.

If you were doing a double-sided design, then you would've had to have doubled that number, so you needed one for every follower, or two for each follower if you were doing a double-sided design.

So here, I've chosen my smiley face design.

You can see here from the front view, the three smiley faces attached to the followers.

Now, if I'd chosen to do single-sided designs, then you can see from the single-sided back view that you would be able to see the joining material that I used to attach them to the followers.

So here you can see the tape that attaches those three smiley faces to the followers.

If you chosen a double-sided design, you can see from that last diagram that you'll be able to see those smiley faces even viewing it from the back.

So the front and the back would have the same view if you've chosen to do a double-sided design.

So, hopefully you've managed to do that, and we can move on to the next part of the lesson.

So the second part of the lesson is where we get to test your products.

So this is where you get to see whether the decisions you made about the materials you use and the joining techniques you use, how well they perform in the actual product itself.

So there are a few things to consider when we are testing products.

We need to think about the function, so that's what the product was intended to do, what it was designed to do.

We need to think about the durability, so will those components last? Will the materials that we chose to make them from withstand that continued use? And we need to think about the usability, so that's how the product is being used by the user, and how easy it is for somebody to use that product.

And then we need to think about that word, "aesthetics," those visual qualities, how the product looks, does it look good, does it look as good as it could do? Repeatedly testing an automaton product is the best way to ensure that the mechanism functions effectively.

So it might work for one or two goals, but does it continue to work with repeated use? It will show us, by doing this testing, it will show us where changes could be made to improve that effectiveness.

Testing shows us where there are problems, either with the design itself, or with the material choices that we made, or with the joining techniques that we use to attach the components.

We can improve the product to ensure it looks effective and functions correctly.

So you can see from this little video here that repeated testing shows that the middle animated piece, the middle penguin in this case, is not working as it should, it's not working like the other two characters, so that means we need to do some adapting to make sure it does work the same as the other two characters.

Quick check then.

What does that word "function" mean? It's one of our key words, but what does it mean? Does it mean a, entertain? Does it mean b, look effective? Or does it mean c, work in a particular way? Pause the video.

Have a think back to the key words.

Well done, if you remembered that the word "function" means it works in a particular way, so it's the job that something is intended to do.

So these pupils are discussing problems with the way their automatons are functioning.

What could be the problem? Let's have a think.

So Aisha's saying that the follower in her automaton product does not move up and down.

What could be the problem? Pause the video, talk to your partner or have a think, what could be the problem with Aisha's mechanism? Okay, so the problem could be that it's not positioned directly above the cam disc, or it's not making the correct contact.

So problems in there with those two things would stop Aisha's follower from moving up and down.

So let's have a look at and Andeep's problem now.

So he's had a go at testing his products, and he's noticed that the character keeps falling off the follower.

Pause the video and have a think, or a chat with your partner, about what could be the problem with Andeep's mechanism.

Okay, what did you think? Well, it's possible that it's not made from a sturdy material, so it's not able to withstand that repeated movement.

Or it may be that the joining techniques that Andeep has used are not sufficient enough to keep the component attached, so it's not attached securely enough.

So that's how we look at our products after testing and decide what steps could be taken to improve its effectiveness.

True or false then.

A durability test checks how easy a product is to use.

Is that true or false? Pause the video.

Have a think.

Okay, welcome back.

What did you think? Is a durability test to test how easy something is to use? No, of course not, that's false, because a durability test checks the product's materials and components to check that they will last when they actually are used in that product.

That word "durable" means whether it's hard-wearing or long-lasting.

Okay so, time for a task in this second part of the lesson.

So this is where you are going to test your automaton product.

You're going to look at each individual element or component of your automaton mechanism, and you're going to consider these things.

You're going to consider the function, so is each part of your automaton working in the way it's supposed to? You're going to consider the durability, so will those components, and the materials that you've chosen to make them from, last when they're repeatedly used? You're going to consider the usability.

So how easy is your product to use for the user? And you're going to consider the aesthetic qualities as well.

So you're going to consider how your product looks.

Does it look as effective as it could be? Could it look better? Are there things you could do to change that? I want you to make some notes on the ways that you could improve your product in any of those areas to make it more effective.

Pause the video when you've had a good test of your automaton, and we'll on to the next part.

Welcome back.

So, hopefully you've had a good test of your automaton product now, and you've managed to make some notes on where you might be able to make some improvements.

And that's just what Aisha did with her product, and she's had the following thing to say about hers.

She's noticed that the box frame is higher on one side, the crank handle is loose, so it needs to be secured, the follower falls out of position when it moves up with the cam because there's not enough support.

So she's identified some problems with her mechanism, but she's also thought about how she might correct those problems as well, and hopefully that's what you've been able to do with your product.

So the second part of the task then today is to consider which of the improvements you made a note of could be easily made to your product.

So some things are not as easy to change.

So, in the case of Aisha's automaton, she said that her one side of her box frame was higher than the other.

Now that's not something she can easily go back and change, because she'll have to take apart the whole of the box frame and the mechanism inside to be able to change that.

But there are some other things that she knows she can change easily.

So I want you to think about which things you can change.

It might be possible to strengthen a joint, it might be possible to adjust the position of a component quite easily, and it might be possible to improve the look.

So you might be able to change some of those characters, neaten up some of the design, change the joining techniques so it looks a lot neater.

Those are things that you can change quite easily.

So consider which of the things you can change, and make those changes to your automaton.

Remember, we don't want to go back and take apart or disassemble your automaton product, we only want to make those changes that are easy to do at this stage of the process.

Once you've done that, I want you to test your automaton again.

So this is the last part of our task, is to retest your automaton product and consider if those changes that you have made have improved the effectiveness of your product.

If they have, brilliant, and you've got a really effective, working automaton product.

If they haven't, then you might need to take a step back to step two again, and consider how you might make more changes to improve the effectiveness even more.

Both of those stages will be important to make sure we've got an effective product.

Pause the video while you complete those two tasks.

Okay, welcome back.

So, Aisha has completed her task, and she's been considering the improvements that she could easily make to her automaton product.

So, she said that, "I can't change the box frame, because I would have to take it all apart.

I can use glue to secure the crank handle, and I can remove the slide and insert a larger size." So she's thinking about which changes are easy to do at this stage in the process.

And then she retested her automaton and found that it functioned more effectively, the crank handle was secure, and the follower was stable.

So, hopefully you managed to consider the improvements you could make, and you managed to make those improvements to your automaton, and to test it again to check that they had an effect.

So, we're nearly at the end of the lesson now, and I've really enjoyed testing and adapting our automaton products, but what have we actually been learning in today's lesson? Well, we've been considering the product's aesthetic qualities, that's how the product looks, when finishing the automaton figures, and we've learned that doing this ensures that the product looks the best it can, looks as effective as it can do.

We've learned that testing mechanisms repeatedly, so that means over and over again, ensures the function of the product, so ensures that it works properly.

And we've learned that testing mechanisms helps us to ensure they are usable, so they are usable for the user, and they are durable, so they're long-lasting and hard-wearing, and they're not going to fall apart after a couple of uses.

Those are all really important things to consider when we're designing and making products, so I'm glad that we've got to learn them in today's lesson.

Thank you for joining me today.

I hope to see you in another lesson, but for me, it's goodbye for now.