A fairly simple automaton at first sight but the complexity comes from making him stop walking raise his eyes and look around and then stamp with one foot.

This movement is achieved by using a Geneva Wheel driving a row of cams which lift the fulcrums of 5 separate cam levers. The levers lift to engage with the drive cams which generate the movement. As the head is quite heavy I have used counteracting cams rather than a counter weight to center the head following the movement.

The soldier is made of maple painted with acrylic paints. The cams are 6mm birch ply and the frame is pinewood. Other parts are mixed woods, mainly beech.

Front

Back

He marches along, stops, looks side to side, stamps his foot in frustration, lowers his eyes and marches on again.

The film was taken at a slight angle.