The Math Boombox
Project Overview: We were tasked with designing an educational toy that teaches young children how to add and subtract single digits without requiring prior counting knowledge. Our team developed a playful, boombox-shaped toy that offers an engaging approach to math learning for children. While the market for educational toys focusing on addition and subtraction is expansive, many existing products rely on familiar elements like abacuses, scales, or electronic features, often with detachable parts that pose safety risks. Additionally, while addition resources are common, subtraction-focused toys are less prevalent. Our design stands out by using bold, simplified colors—lime green, bright red, and sunflower yellow—to capture children’s attention without relying on themed elements like animals or music. The boombox form was a happy design accident, providing a familiar and inviting shape for children, while keeping the focus on learning math rather than distracting themes.
My Role: Mechanical Engineer (Team of Two)
Design
- Solidworks
- Sketching
- Multiple Parts
- Functional Assembly Dynamic Mates
Documentation
- Solidworks
- Dimensioned Drawings
- Exploded Assembly Views
Deliverables
- Final SolidWorks Assembly
- Final Project Report
Key Outcomes:
1.Safe, Simple Design: Minimized detachable parts, vibrant color scheme, and an inviting "Math Boombox" form that emphasizes learning without distractions
2. Interactive Learning Tool: Rotary wheels for creating equations, answer-checking tables with sliders, and a subtraction table that prevents negative results.
3.Efficient Construction: Reused parts, symmetrical design, and standardized components for easy assembly and durability.
How It Works:
The design functions as such: On the two longer faces of the box addition and subtraction equations can be formed. One face is for addition and the other is for subtraction. Each face has 2 sets of rotary wheel pairs. On the bottom circle of one set is a clock-rotated set of digits 0-9 and the top circle is of the same diameter and has one hole cut out that is centered over the same radius as the numbers are from the center of the main circle. When rotated about the bottom circle, the top circle’s circular cutout exposes each number below, individually. The numbered, bottom circle is fastened to the box with two screws and has a center circular extruded cut that allows a circular extrusion of the same diameter attached to the bottom profile of the top circle to pass through it. This circular extrusion also has a small circular lip to keep the top circle attached to the box itself. Each set of circles acts as one number contribution to the equation being set up. This is why we have two sets of circle pairs, in order to have an equation with two numbers. In the center of the circle sets is an addition or subtraction sign depending on the face you chose to practice with. Now that you are able to set an equation, you can test your math abilities by calculating an answer and checking it with the respective tables on the side of the box (shorter faces).
The wider faces show which table corresponds to that math function (addition, subtraction) by the arrows that point to the correct side of the box to turn to. For addition, place the two sliders to the numbers used in the equation you set up and then place your fingers at those points and bring them down and across the table while remaining in their respective row and columns and the answer is where your fingers meet. For subtraction, the first number in your equation corresponds to the top/horizontal slider, and the second is the left/vertical slider. One problem we did run into was how to defer away from negative numbers. We ended up making the spots on the table grid that would result in a negative number the color red as a warning to reverse the order of the child’s input digits on the sliders. This will result in only positive numbers as answers to the subtraction equations they set up.
CAD Working Drawing Packet
