Development of Mechatronic-system-embedded Wooden Toys Based on Hokkaido Regional Originalities

In this paper, we proposed value-added products by embedding mechatronic systems into the inside of traditional toys based on Hokkaido regional originalities. These toys were constructed of 'ezomatsu' (Picea jezoensis) wood, one of the most typical woods which has been approved as a 'Tree of Hokkaido' from 1966. We described two mechatronicsystem- embedded wooden toys applied the ‘ezomatsu’ materials for these appearances. The one was an interactive 'tsumiki' (building blocks) toy that appeals to players reacting with their block operations, and the other was a woodcraft based robot toy in the motif of a Blakiston's fish owl, called 'Kotan Kor Kamui', a household god of the Ainu. We then showed the development of effective prototypes of each toy, including mechatronic systems embedded in these toys.