Concept and Inspiration

From Idea to Machine

Design Process

Looking more like a vintage turn table than drawing device, the Cycloid Drawing Machine is inspired by drawing machines from the late 19th and early 20th centuries, long before the invention of the Spirograph. Although these early toys like the harmonograph also produced complex designs, they were limited in scope. The Cycloid Drawing adjusts this previous oversight by utilizing a moving fulcrum and providing several interchangeable gears to make the machine infinitely adjustable. Like its ancestors, this drawing machine by LEAFpdx requires no electricity and has no motors. To start one of its complex drawings all you must do is crank it by hand. The set comes with the base, three geared turntables, 18 gears, colored pens and test paper to allow for a customized device. To watch the machine’s set-up and see it in action, watch the video posted below.

Mechanical Principles in Action

Showcasing the Machines

Artworks by the Machines