Starting simple..

It is so easy to conceive of elaborate automata actions!  I can think of all manner of crazy things my little gourd chickens can do but then I catch myself getting too complicated. Slow down, go simple, check out these high school technology student projects. They are simple, but make interesting entertainment.  Like the architect Louis Sullivan said, "less is more"!  [He was also famous for the words "form ever follows function", another thought to keep in mind when considering how the function of a gear follows its form...as the action follows the gear.]

Check out these simple projects from Griffith University...they are inspiring BECAUSE they are achievable. Others I find online are so multifaceted, it is overwhelming to consider a starting point!