Underneath the laser-cut exterior of Thérrarium: The Ancient Tea Machine — which shows no

evidence of its mechanical undercarriage — you’ll find an Arduino Mega, most of the components

that would typically reside inside a commercial coffee machine, and a handful of other actuators and

lights. Gidoin spent 4 years perfecting the machine, designing 3D printed parts for the mechanisms

and learning laser cutting at FabLab Moebius in Barbizon, France.

When it’s tea time there are multiple options available, for different blends of tea and temperatures

for steeping. With a quick press of a button, the Elven village hops to life measuring out tea leaves,

depositing them into the tea ball, heating water and dispensing it into the cup, dunking the tea ball

for the prescribed amount of time, then depositing it on a tiny coaster for disposal.

At the end of the process, Gidoin is left with a perfect cup of tea, and a view that is absolutely