Pogo pencil

I am really happy with the final outcome of this project and I hope that Hali is too! I had a great time making her invention and trying it out and it was lovely seeing her and her friends using it as well. They invented their own game where you could use the paint splats to draw doodles and images when you have finished bouncing.

To make the pogo pencil I decided to use a child's bouncy hopper and then build the invention around that. I used an industrial cardboard tube and was able to attach it to the hopper footplate using small screws and a right angle drill. I sprayed the tube in the bright colours that Hali chose in a striped pattern. 

In order to make the pogo pencil draw when you bounce I attached two Posca paint markers into the cardboard tube under the footplate. I could then inflate the hopper's ball inside the cardboard tube and it held the pens in place.

I had to do a lot of brainstorming before I was able to begin making the Pogo Pencil because there are many practical problems to overcome. Firstly that the finished product will need to hold a child's weight and also that the pens will need to be able to function without being bent or broken. It would also be cool if the pens could be replaced when they have run out. My initial ideas and rough sketches can be seen below.