Ancient and Mediavel Siege Engines

The Design & Engineering Medieval Catapults was developed for classroom use. It's an excellent project for grade level 6 and up. The catapult can be incorporated into science and history classes. Our catapult is an easy to build, functioning model that required only carpenters wood glue to assemble.

Water Raising Machines of the Past

Comparing evidence from the surviving remains with known examples of ancient engineering - and supporting these theories with modern engineering principles – these experts were able to reconstruct a unique machine, which in its original form would have been capable of raising water.

Engineering for Children. Rolling Ball Machines

What is a rolling ball device? A rolling ball device may be defined as a mechanism or group of mechanisms, for the sake of art or utility, which uses the action of a ball or balls moving in either a constrained or unconstrained path to actuate the various effects of the mechanism(s). Rolling ball machines can be serious or playful, artistic or scientific, the product of engineering or the result of tinkering. No sooner does one list a taxonomy of all rolling ball devices when someone comes up with a new type.

Architecture and Construction Machines of Middle Age

Did you think everything in the Middle Ages was done painstakingly by hands? Think again! How did those huge blocks of stone get to the top of the cathedral? Machine Power! These were not gas or electric powered engines, but rather construction machines were powered by water, by air, by animals, or even by Men running in their own wheels!

Perpetual Motion Machines

The term perpetual motion, taken literally, refers to movement that goes on forever.However, perpetual motion usually refers to a device or system that delivers more energy than was put into it. Such a device or system would be in violation of the law of Conservation of Energy, which states that energy can never be created or destroyed, and is therefore deemed impossible by the laws of physics. Our working models assist us to better explain the impossibility of Perpetual Motion.

Linkages and Levers

Linkages and levers are the basic of mechanical engineering. A mechanical linkage is a series of rigid links connected with joints to form a closed chain, or a series of closed chains. Each link has two or more joints, and the joints have various degrees of freedom to allow motion between the links.

The principle of leverage can be derived using Newton's laws of motion, and modern statics. It is important to note that the amount of work done is given by force times distance.

Great Inventions of ancient China

The history of science and technology in China is both long and rich with many contributions to world development. In antiquity, independently of Greek philosophers and other civilizations, ancient Chinese philosophers made significant advances in science, technology, mathematics, and astronomy.

Leonardo da Vinci Machines

Leonardo has often been described as the archetype of the "Renaissance man" or universal genius, a man whose seemingly infinite curiosity was equalled only by his powers of invention. As an engineer, Leonardo conceived ideas vastly ahead of his own time, conceptualising a helicopter, a tank, concentrated solar power, a calculator, and the double hull.

To see more projects and models visit our Modelmaker's website.