Search this site
Embedded Files
  • Home
  • About
  • Resume
  • Projects
    • CAD
      • I Ching Split-Flap Display
      • Animatronics Workshop
      • Architectural CADD
      • CADRA CADD
    • Client Work
      • Curtain Call - Carnegie Mellon University School of Drama Client Project
      • StoryStudio - Children's Museum of Pittsburgh Client Project
    • Concept Design
      • Curtain Call - Carnegie Mellon University School of Drama Client Project
      • Five Nights at Freddy's - The Dark Ride
      • StoryStudio - Children's Museum of Pittsburgh Client Project
      • Pausch Bridge Lighting
      • Astronomy Carnival Booth
      • Escape from Wonderland
      • Visual Story Films
      • Ghostbuster 2022
      • Level99
      • Lotso Neon Sign
      • Graduation Cap Topper
      • I Ching Split-Flap Display
      • InnoQuest
      • Game of Life Yo-Yo's
      • Next Haunt
      • Shape Display Tables
    • Construction
      • Astronomy Carnival Booth
      • Next Haunt
    • Control Systems
      • Self-Balancing Robot
    • Experience Design
      • Curtain Call - Carnegie Mellon University School of Drama Client Project
      • Five Nights at Freddy's - The Dark Ride
      • Peek-A-Boo Projection Mapping
      • Happily Ever After Projection Mapping
      • Tomb Lighting
      • StoryStudio - Children's Museum of Pittsburgh Client Project
      • Pausch Bridge Lighting
      • Astronomy Carnival Booth
      • Escape from Wonderland
      • Christmas Chaos
      • The Christmas Miracle
      • Ghostbuster 2022
      • Level99
      • I Ching Split-Flap Display
      • InnoQuest
      • Next Haunt
    • Filmmaking
      • Vita Animation
      • Visual Story Films
    • Installation
      • Rose Parade 2024
      • Curtain Call - Carnegie Mellon University School of Drama Client Project
    • Lighting Design
      • Curtain Call - Carnegie Mellon University School of Drama Client Project
      • Five Nights at Freddy's - The Dark Ride
      • Tomb Lighting
      • Pausch Bridge Lighting
    • Manufacturing
      • Lotso Neon Sign
      • Graduation Cap Topper
      • Game of Life Yo-Yo's
      • Cambridge Dynamics
      • Aisle Assist
      • Toy Product Design
      • Flashlight
    • Mechanical Repair
      • Level99
      • Shape Display Tables
    • Producing
      • Ghostbuster 2022
    • Projection Mapping
      • Peek-A-Boo Projection Mapping
      • Happily Ever After Projection Mapping
    • Puzzle Creation
      • Escape from Wonderland
      • Level99
      • Next Haunt
    • Rapid Prototyping
      • Curtain Call - Carnegie Mellon University School of Drama Client Project
      • StoryStudio - Children's Museum of Pittsburgh Client Project
      • Escape from Wonderland
      • Christmas Chaos
      • The Christmas Miracle
      • Ghostbuster 2022
      • Level99
      • InnoQuest
      • Cambridge Dynamics
      • Aisle Assist
      • Shape Display Tables
      • Toy Product Design
    • Robotics
      • StoryStudio - Children's Museum of Pittsburgh Client Project
      • Cambridge Dynamics
      • Animatronics Workshop
      • Self-Balancing Robot
      • Sea Perch Robot
    • Storyboarding
      • Visual Story Films
    • Voice Acting
      • Vita Animation
    • 2D Art
      • Christmas Chaos
      • Lotso Neon Sign
      • Graduation Cap Topper
  • Awards
    • 2023 Thrill Design Competition
    • Telly Award
    • TEA Thea Award Level99
    • Next Haunt Puzzlemaster Award
  • Certificates
    • Alcorn's Theme Park Design
    • Disney's Leadership Excellence
    • Disney's Quality Service
    • Disney's Employee Engagement
  • Hobbies
    • Stained Glass
    • Glassblowing
    • Fire Spinning
    • MIT Pirate Certificate
    • Blacksmithing
    • Black Belt in Kenpo Jiu Jitsu Karate
 
  • Home
  • About
  • Resume
  • Projects
    • CAD
      • I Ching Split-Flap Display
      • Animatronics Workshop
      • Architectural CADD
      • CADRA CADD
    • Client Work
      • Curtain Call - Carnegie Mellon University School of Drama Client Project
      • StoryStudio - Children's Museum of Pittsburgh Client Project
    • Concept Design
      • Curtain Call - Carnegie Mellon University School of Drama Client Project
      • Five Nights at Freddy's - The Dark Ride
      • StoryStudio - Children's Museum of Pittsburgh Client Project
      • Pausch Bridge Lighting
      • Astronomy Carnival Booth
      • Escape from Wonderland
      • Visual Story Films
      • Ghostbuster 2022
      • Level99
      • Lotso Neon Sign
      • Graduation Cap Topper
      • I Ching Split-Flap Display
      • InnoQuest
      • Game of Life Yo-Yo's
      • Next Haunt
      • Shape Display Tables
    • Construction
      • Astronomy Carnival Booth
      • Next Haunt
    • Control Systems
      • Self-Balancing Robot
    • Experience Design
      • Curtain Call - Carnegie Mellon University School of Drama Client Project
      • Five Nights at Freddy's - The Dark Ride
      • Peek-A-Boo Projection Mapping
      • Happily Ever After Projection Mapping
      • Tomb Lighting
      • StoryStudio - Children's Museum of Pittsburgh Client Project
      • Pausch Bridge Lighting
      • Astronomy Carnival Booth
      • Escape from Wonderland
      • Christmas Chaos
      • The Christmas Miracle
      • Ghostbuster 2022
      • Level99
      • I Ching Split-Flap Display
      • InnoQuest
      • Next Haunt
    • Filmmaking
      • Vita Animation
      • Visual Story Films
    • Installation
      • Rose Parade 2024
      • Curtain Call - Carnegie Mellon University School of Drama Client Project
    • Lighting Design
      • Curtain Call - Carnegie Mellon University School of Drama Client Project
      • Five Nights at Freddy's - The Dark Ride
      • Tomb Lighting
      • Pausch Bridge Lighting
    • Manufacturing
      • Lotso Neon Sign
      • Graduation Cap Topper
      • Game of Life Yo-Yo's
      • Cambridge Dynamics
      • Aisle Assist
      • Toy Product Design
      • Flashlight
    • Mechanical Repair
      • Level99
      • Shape Display Tables
    • Producing
      • Ghostbuster 2022
    • Projection Mapping
      • Peek-A-Boo Projection Mapping
      • Happily Ever After Projection Mapping
    • Puzzle Creation
      • Escape from Wonderland
      • Level99
      • Next Haunt
    • Rapid Prototyping
      • Curtain Call - Carnegie Mellon University School of Drama Client Project
      • StoryStudio - Children's Museum of Pittsburgh Client Project
      • Escape from Wonderland
      • Christmas Chaos
      • The Christmas Miracle
      • Ghostbuster 2022
      • Level99
      • InnoQuest
      • Cambridge Dynamics
      • Aisle Assist
      • Shape Display Tables
      • Toy Product Design
    • Robotics
      • StoryStudio - Children's Museum of Pittsburgh Client Project
      • Cambridge Dynamics
      • Animatronics Workshop
      • Self-Balancing Robot
      • Sea Perch Robot
    • Storyboarding
      • Visual Story Films
    • Voice Acting
      • Vita Animation
    • 2D Art
      • Christmas Chaos
      • Lotso Neon Sign
      • Graduation Cap Topper
  • Awards
    • 2023 Thrill Design Competition
    • Telly Award
    • TEA Thea Award Level99
    • Next Haunt Puzzlemaster Award
  • Certificates
    • Alcorn's Theme Park Design
    • Disney's Leadership Excellence
    • Disney's Quality Service
    • Disney's Employee Engagement
  • Hobbies
    • Stained Glass
    • Glassblowing
    • Fire Spinning
    • MIT Pirate Certificate
    • Blacksmithing
    • Black Belt in Kenpo Jiu Jitsu Karate
  • More
    • Home
    • About
    • Resume
    • Projects
      • CAD
        • I Ching Split-Flap Display
        • Animatronics Workshop
        • Architectural CADD
        • CADRA CADD
      • Client Work
        • Curtain Call - Carnegie Mellon University School of Drama Client Project
        • StoryStudio - Children's Museum of Pittsburgh Client Project
      • Concept Design
        • Curtain Call - Carnegie Mellon University School of Drama Client Project
        • Five Nights at Freddy's - The Dark Ride
        • StoryStudio - Children's Museum of Pittsburgh Client Project
        • Pausch Bridge Lighting
        • Astronomy Carnival Booth
        • Escape from Wonderland
        • Visual Story Films
        • Ghostbuster 2022
        • Level99
        • Lotso Neon Sign
        • Graduation Cap Topper
        • I Ching Split-Flap Display
        • InnoQuest
        • Game of Life Yo-Yo's
        • Next Haunt
        • Shape Display Tables
      • Construction
        • Astronomy Carnival Booth
        • Next Haunt
      • Control Systems
        • Self-Balancing Robot
      • Experience Design
        • Curtain Call - Carnegie Mellon University School of Drama Client Project
        • Five Nights at Freddy's - The Dark Ride
        • Peek-A-Boo Projection Mapping
        • Happily Ever After Projection Mapping
        • Tomb Lighting
        • StoryStudio - Children's Museum of Pittsburgh Client Project
        • Pausch Bridge Lighting
        • Astronomy Carnival Booth
        • Escape from Wonderland
        • Christmas Chaos
        • The Christmas Miracle
        • Ghostbuster 2022
        • Level99
        • I Ching Split-Flap Display
        • InnoQuest
        • Next Haunt
      • Filmmaking
        • Vita Animation
        • Visual Story Films
      • Installation
        • Rose Parade 2024
        • Curtain Call - Carnegie Mellon University School of Drama Client Project
      • Lighting Design
        • Curtain Call - Carnegie Mellon University School of Drama Client Project
        • Five Nights at Freddy's - The Dark Ride
        • Tomb Lighting
        • Pausch Bridge Lighting
      • Manufacturing
        • Lotso Neon Sign
        • Graduation Cap Topper
        • Game of Life Yo-Yo's
        • Cambridge Dynamics
        • Aisle Assist
        • Toy Product Design
        • Flashlight
      • Mechanical Repair
        • Level99
        • Shape Display Tables
      • Producing
        • Ghostbuster 2022
      • Projection Mapping
        • Peek-A-Boo Projection Mapping
        • Happily Ever After Projection Mapping
      • Puzzle Creation
        • Escape from Wonderland
        • Level99
        • Next Haunt
      • Rapid Prototyping
        • Curtain Call - Carnegie Mellon University School of Drama Client Project
        • StoryStudio - Children's Museum of Pittsburgh Client Project
        • Escape from Wonderland
        • Christmas Chaos
        • The Christmas Miracle
        • Ghostbuster 2022
        • Level99
        • InnoQuest
        • Cambridge Dynamics
        • Aisle Assist
        • Shape Display Tables
        • Toy Product Design
      • Robotics
        • StoryStudio - Children's Museum of Pittsburgh Client Project
        • Cambridge Dynamics
        • Animatronics Workshop
        • Self-Balancing Robot
        • Sea Perch Robot
      • Storyboarding
        • Visual Story Films
      • Voice Acting
        • Vita Animation
      • 2D Art
        • Christmas Chaos
        • Lotso Neon Sign
        • Graduation Cap Topper
    • Awards
      • 2023 Thrill Design Competition
      • Telly Award
      • TEA Thea Award Level99
      • Next Haunt Puzzlemaster Award
    • Certificates
      • Alcorn's Theme Park Design
      • Disney's Leadership Excellence
      • Disney's Quality Service
      • Disney's Employee Engagement
    • Hobbies
      • Stained Glass
      • Glassblowing
      • Fire Spinning
      • MIT Pirate Certificate
      • Blacksmithing
      • Black Belt in Kenpo Jiu Jitsu Karate

LAUREN PLATT

Themed Entertainment Engineer

-Game of Life Yo-Yo's-

Yo-Yo

I designed and mass manufactured over 80 of these Game of Life themed yo-yo's with a team of five other students as a part of MIT's course 2.008 Design and Manufacturing II. 


We followed a full design and mass manufacturing processes for these yo-yo's:

  • Concept ideation

  • Design pitching and review

  • Creating a manufacturing plan

  • 3D modeling all parts of our yo-yo

  • Creating metal molds of each part of the yo-yo using CAM and HAAS CNC mill

  • Injection molding parts

  • 3D printing molds for thermoforming

  • Printing sheets for thermoforming with Mimaki

  • Thermoforming the spinner

  • Yo-yo assembly

  • Quality testing

  • Presenting progress to professor and TAs

My Contributions


Concept Ideation


The Game of Life theme was my idea. I liked this idea because it was a really fun concept. The spinner is visually iconic, recognizable, and colorful! The spinner is also already the perfect circular shape for a yo-yo design. Finally, this concept also allowed us to have a dynamic spinner component! Guests can actually spin the spinner like in the board game! This made the yo-yo exciting and interesting even when you weren't actively yo-ing it.

Yo-Yo Cap

The cap is the top part of our yo-yo which is 1/2 of the press fit holding the yo-yo together with the base. The cap is green and wavy as reference to the holder of the spinner in the board game. I completed the CAM and HASS CNC mill manufacturing for the core side of the mold for our yo-yo cap.

The cap of our yo-yo

CapCoreCAM

My CAM for the core side of our mold for the cap

Final molds after using HAAS CNC mill. The right mold is the core mold I manufactured on the HAAS CNC mill using my CAM.

CapCoreHAAS

Me HASS CNC mill manufacturing the core mold for the cap

Finger Ring

The finger ring was an element of uniqueness that we wanted to add to our yo-yo. The string of the yo-yo would be tied to the finger ring and the guest would put their finger into the ring to use the yo-yo. Another great feature of the finger ring was that the finger ring also fit perfectly on the middle of the spinner for easy storage when the yo-yo is not in use. We created both blue and pink finger rings as reference to the blue and pink people in the board game.

I manufactured the finger ring mold in the HAAS CNC mill. After the finger ring mold was complete, I filed the gate by hand to get the gate as small as possible to create the highest quality parts and minimize defects. After the finger rings were injection molded, I drilled holes in the finger rings for the string of the yo-yo to tie into. I also sanded the finger rings for guest comfort and to file away injection pin marks as much as possible for aesthetics. 

The blue version of our finger ring

Me manufacturing the finger ring mold in the HAAS CNC mill

Final finger ring mold after I finished manufacturing using the HAAS CNC mill and filing the gate by hand to minimize defects

Spinner

The spinner is my favorite part of our project. It is a colorful thermoformed piece which can actually spin! I worked on preparations for the thermoform mold, thermoforming, and testing.

Our spinner originally had 3D numbers and much of my early work was on trying to make 3D numbers work. Ultimately, the 3D numbers were too difficult to align with the colored print of the thermoforming sheets. Therefore, we shifted away from the 3D numbers and opted instead for a more manageable but still beautiful flat number design where the numbers were just printed on the thermoformed sheet.

Our 3D model of the spinner mold

I created this first draft of the 3D ring of numbers for the spinner. I created the image in Illustrator then turned it into a 3D model in Fusion360 which was combined with the rest of the original spinner mold 3D model.

After finishing the 3D model of the spinner mold, we 3D printed the mold to use for thermoforming. I drilled air holes into the mold for better thermoforming results. I tested thermoforming with different heat, cool, and time settings to get the best results. I also tested thermoforming on different thermoforming materials including clear plastic and white plastic. We ultimately decided on white plastic as it was most similar in appearance to the original Game of Life spinner.

This thermoform highlighted imperfections of the air holes that were drilled into the mold and had warping from heat

This thermoform hid imperfections better but the numbers were not very clear

This thermoform hid imperfections and had clear numbers!

EarlySpinTest

Early testing of spinning the thermoformed spinner on the base. Modifications were made later to improve spinning in the thermoforming and die cutting processes.

Quality Testing

Throughout the process, I worked on quality testing our yo-yo to be sure it fit within our quality standards.

Strategies that we used to minimize defects in the manufacturing process

I measured our manufactured parts to be sure that the parts we were producing were within our design specification limits. 

I performed drop tests in order to be sure that our press fit between the cap and base was strong and could hold up to regular yo-yo use. All of our final yo-yo's were able to sustain at least a 2 foot drop without the press fit coming apart.

I also performed spin tests for all of the thermoformed spinner parts to be sure that the spinners were spinning as freely as possible. 

Assembly

I completed the assembly process for many of the final yo-yo's. This included pressing the base, thermoformed spinner, and cap together. Two halves of the yo-yo were combined with a string, screw, and spacer. The finger ring was attached to the end of the string.

Yo-yo's mid-assembly

Final assembled yo-yo's

Final assembled yo-yo's with blue finger rings

Final assembled yo-yo's with pink finger rings

Contact

508-404-3168  |  leplatt@andrew.cmu.edu  |  Pittsburgh, PA  |  https://www.linkedin.com/in/laurenelizabethplatt/

Google Sites
Report abuse
Page details
Page updated
Google Sites
Report abuse