LINKKI: A planar linkage-based kinetic toy as a tool for education and design

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingConference article in proceedingsScientificpeer-review

7 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

This paper presents LINKKI, a kinetic construction toy based on a
planar linkage mechanism with which users can design
movements, make kinetic arts, and learn basic STEM subjects
through hands-on play. Consisting of a modular box, bars and
circles, and active/interactive modules, LINKKI simplifies the
technical construction toy to such an extent as to look minimal but
still retains the versatility of construction blocks as an educational
tool and designer’s prototyping tool.

The simplicity of LINKKI not only allows intuitive play, but also
enables users to easily tweak and create custom parts for
themselves, thus making it easy to incorporate raw material in
addition to the existing parts for prototyping use. Paying attention
to the aesthetic side, it is also intended to encourage a
demographic with possibly less exposure to technical toys (casual
users, young girls, etc.) to be engaged in motion design and STEM
subjects. In this paper, I describe the features of a functioning
LINKKI prototype and discuss the adaptability of the toy through
diverse usage examples and a user study.
Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationProceedings of FabLearn 2016
Subtitle of host publication6th Annual Conference on Creativity and Making in Education
Place of PublicationNew York
PublisherACM
Pages86-89
Number of pages4
VolumePart F126222
ISBN (Electronic)978-1-4503-4802-7
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2016
MoE publication typeA4 Conference publication
EventConference on Creativity and Fabrication in Education - Stanford University, Palo Alto , United States
Duration: 14 Oct 201616 Oct 2016
Conference number: 6
http://fablearn.org/conferences/stanford2016/

Conference

ConferenceConference on Creativity and Fabrication in Education
Abbreviated titleFabLearn
Country/TerritoryUnited States
CityPalo Alto
Period14/10/201616/10/2016
Internet address

Keywords

  • Construction toy
  • prototyping
  • STEAM education
  • kinetic design
  • manipulative
  • Robotics
  • tangible interface

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