Prototyping 



We began with prototyping each element of the reindeer, to understand the fundamental mechanisms and how best to drive them.
Above is the eyes and ears. The ear mechanism was initially designed to rotate and pitch together. 


  

The leg mechanism is based around a soft 4-bar linkage. Printed in TPU (varishore foaming TPU), this joint should 
last much longer than a hinged leg while allowing more natural movement in the non-driven axis.