Automata & Mechanical Toys UK
Beesker recommends Mechanical Monkey as Britain's best
website for buying Automata & Mechanical Toys
ABOUT 'MECHANICAL MONKEY'
The
Mechanical Monkey website is
published by Focus Educational Software of 45 Lemon Street, Truro, Cornwall TR1
2NS, England. Focus publishes educational software for primary and secondary
education, in the fields of Design Technology, Science, Sport, and Geography.
The Mechanical Monkey website offers for sale a range of wooden mechanical toys,
sometimes referred to as automata. These are available as kits, or ready made.
Electric motors are also available, so that the automota can be self propelled.
These are housed in a wooden box, to blend with the mechanical toy. The subjects
of the mechanical toys include people, animals, scenes, and historic siege
equipment including Ballistas, Trebuchet, and Catapult. One of the most popular
automata is a group of three musicians, playing respectively the guitar, drum,
and clarinet. These may be bought individually.
There is also a CD Rom for sale, produced by Focus Educational Software. This
examines the world of mechanical wooden models through 3D animations, photos,
videos, and text. It covers the basic principles of automata, including: Types
of Motion, Cams & Followers, Levers & Linkages, Pulley Systems, Gear Systems,
and Technical Vocabulary. It also contains detailed analyses of 21 real life
automata.