Kinetic art by Dolf Perenti uses a fascinating wood escapement

Check out this lovely kinetic sculpture by Dolf Perenti. The various hardwoods and high-grade plywood are combined to form a mechanism called an escapement. These are the heart and soul of clocks. I'm going to let Wikipedia explain escapements further:

An escapement is a device in mechanical watches and clocks that transfers energy to the timekeeping element (the "impulse action") and allows the number of its oscillations to be counted (the "locking action"). The impulse action transfers energy to the clock's timekeeping element (usually a pendulum or balance wheel) to replace the energy lost to friction during its cycle, to keep the timekeeper oscillating. The escapement is driven by force from a coiled spring or a suspended weight, transmitted through the timepiece's gear train. The escapement releases the tooth of a gear, which therefore changes from a "locked" state to a "drive" state until the opposite arm strikes another tooth on the gear, which locks the gear again. A clock's tick is the sound of the gear train stopping as the escapement locks. The gear train is accelerated and decelerated with each tick of the clock. This locking action of the escapement allows each cycle of the timekeeping element to be counted. During each cycle the escapement permits a gear train to advance or escape slightly. The periodic advancement results in moving the timepiece's hands forward at a steady rate. This starting and stopping accounts for most of the energy usage from the spring or weight when a clock is in good working order.

I'm not sure if the one shown here is an esoteric form of escapement or something the artist invented himself. Either way, it's beautifully made and captivating!

If you want to learn more about escapements, Laurie Penman's book Practical Clock Escapements comes highly recommended. I need to get a copy myself, actually.

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Adam Savage assembles a kit showing you how to create your own Theo Jansen Strandbeest in miniature

I've posted several times about the wonderful mind and creations of Theo Jansen. He's the guy who builds huge PVC creatures that are meant to roam freely around the beaches, powered only by wind. Here is a nice look at a small kit that replicates one of his 'Strandbeests' in miniature. I've seen this kit around the internet, but this video REALLY shows what putting it together would be like. And, the demo is done by legendary MythBuster Adam Savage no less!

From the product description:

The fantastic Theo Jansen is world-renowned for his creations consisting of PVC pipes, wood, and various plastics. The resulting concoctions spring to life with the slightest breeze and walks the earth on hundreds of tiny feet all on its own. A beautiful amalgamation of art and engineering, these Strandbeest vary in size ranging from the size of small animals to behemoths of incredible proportion. Regardless of size, they all maintain baffling intricacies that make them seem alive.

Powered by wind alone, the completed kit does not require batteries, though it may be fun to motorize it too. The kit comes with a 28-page science and history guide as well as fully illustrated assembly instructions.

Here is where you can order your very own Strandbeest Kit.

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Under-the-hood video of Colin Neu's "First Flight" kinetic sculpture

Did you see the video featuring the amazing kinetic sculptures by Colin Neu? Here is an closer look at one of the pieces featured. This one is titled First Flight. That beefy spring-driven motor you see at the beginning came from an antique gramophone motor. The video shows that there is some extraordinary craftsmanship going on here at every level. I think this sculpture may be as beautiful on the inside as it is on the outside. Bravo!

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A trio of zipper-mouthed film canister creatures by Nemo Gould

Check out this recent piece by artist Nemo Gould titled Zip Synch. The heads for the strange and endearing creatures are small zippered film canisters.

From Nemo Gould's web site:

The inspiration came from the little film canisters that form their heads. I had done this once before with the piece "Head Case #2". Recently I came across several more cases at a flea market and couldn’t resist making a chorus line of them.

In addition to the film canisters, the piece is made from sprockets, chain, gears, motor, LEDs, mirrored plastic, and wooden box.

See more kinetic sculpture by Nemo Gould on his web site.

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Room for Wonder - A film about the magical collections of Richard Garriott

This short film features the many collections of Richard Garriott de Cayeux -- video game developer, entrepreneur, and space traveler. Garriott built Britannia Manor to serve as his observatory, home, and occasionally, a giant interactive haunted house. An avid collector of amazing and unusual objects, Garriott's home could fairly be classified as a museum. In this film, magician Brad Henderson from Austin, Texas takes you through this extraordinary collection, room by room.

Among the countless wonders and secret passages, you will find a collection of historic space-related artifacts in Garriott's office, complete with one of the original Sputnik satellites. In the dungeon, you can stare in awe at the shrunken heads and vampire hunting kits. In the laboratory, you will find esoteric scientific instruments and orreries, mechanical models of the planets moving around the sun.

I know you guys will be most interested in Garriott's automata collection, featuring antiques as well works by almost all of the modern makers. The automata collection, vast as it is, can only be covered in part, but you do get to see the works of three artists who surely deserve the limelight.

First, you see Paul Spooner's inimitable wit and ingenuity play out in his Sex Change Machine and Poisoned Milk automaton. The mechanism that makes the cat's tongue seem to lap up the spilled milk is a fine example of Spooner's cleverness.

Next, you get a close-up view of the Argentinian artist Pablo Lavezzari's piece Facing a Fake Foe -- a detailed automaton-within-an-automaton depicting a knight fighting a dragon. The dragon, as it turns out, is a fake controlled by a small demon figure. The piece is also notable for its mechanically produced dragon roar sound effect.

Finally, you are shown a few of the macabre and magical automata created by Thomas Kuntz. Kuntz hand sculpts each of the figures and scratch builds the all of the mechanical elements for his pieces, often on vintage watchmaker's lathes. His autoamta seem to be the direct descendants of the most exquisite automata of centuries past. His piece titled L'Oracle du Mort is a modern masterpiece, featuring an oracle who -- with the help of two imps, the Grim Reaper, and a burst of real flame -- will answer your questions.

Amidst so many incredible automata, and artists whom I hold in the highest esteem, I'm dazed and delighted that one of my own pieces made it into the footage. A Dug North original, titled The Birthing Engine is shown and mentioned early on. I couldn't be more pleased.

This film is rare look at one of the finest collections of contemporary automata in existence. I am glad it was made and I am glad to have had the chance to share it with you.

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Tumbleweed - an early kinetic wooden sculpture by David C. Roy

David C. Roy has been making his own unique style of kinetic wooden sculptures for a while now. Here one of his first. According to Roy, "Tumbleweed was one of the last sculptures I designed in 1976. I was looking for a way to create more rotations of the "pendulum" wheel before reversing." Unlike his more recent works which are spring-driven, this one is powered by a falling weight. But all of the classic David Roy hallmarks are there: beautiful wooden forms, spinning gracefully, almost silently, creating interesting movements and patterns.

You can see more kinetic sculptures by David C. Roy at his web site, Wood That Works

[ Thanks Christoph! ]

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Dug North's interview with Tested.com, the online home of Jamie Hyneman and Adam Savage

I was glad to see Norman Chan and Will Smith show up at my exhibit at Maker Faire last weekend. Will and Norm manage Tested.com, which is the official online home of Mythbusters Jamie Hyneman and Adam Savage.

Norman interviewed me on the spot. Here's how they describe the interview on the site:

Norm meets Dug North, a self-described "Kinetic Sculptor" who crafts wooden automaton sculptures. We learn about how automata work and Dug's process in bringing these elaborate wooden figures and dioramas to life.

The questions came fast. I did my best to keep up! During the interview, we cover a wide range of topics related to automata. I say a bit about automata in general, my process, my finished pieces, and what I plan to do next.

I've admired the Mythbusters since they first introduced their TV show back in 2003. For a guy like me, it is a huge honor to be featured on their site. My thanks go out to Norman, Will, Adam, and Jamie. It was a pleasure!

Here's a link to the interview on Tested.com.

UPDATE: Be sure to check out the follow-up article to this video interview in which I talk about the wood, tools, and techniques I use to make a wood automaton!

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The Electric Animal Circus: it's robots in a circus...what's not to like?

Any of my attempts to explain The Electric Animal Circus will fall short. As the title of the post implies, it involves a circus, robots, and a dose of humor.

Beyond watching the film above, their website says this:

Pozzo and Grotsky's Electric Animal Circus is a new type of live show: robot animals performing circus-inspired acts in a post-apocalyptic variety show. This website exists to showcase the project as it develops from concept to stage.

If you enjoyed the introductory film, here is one featuring The Great Maestro Pickleton and His Unusual Musical Octopus:

And while the film feels like something that might be a Kickstarter project, the web site says that the project is Financed by Deutsche Bank. I may be missing a joke here, but that's what it says.

[ Thanks Joe! ]

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Mekanikos vs. The Minotaur - automaton by Dug North at Maker Faire New York 2012

I promised more videos of my automata as well as some footage of the recent World Maker Faire New York 2012. Thanks to a visitor to my exhibit who took this video, I can show you both! This short clip shows me cranking one of my latest pieces which depicts a carnival sideshow scene titled Mekanikos vs. The Minotaur.

The automaton features Mekanikos (the world's strongest man according to the poster behind him) engaged in a struggle with a giant man-beast with horns. Turn the crank and the enraged Minotaur thrashes against the chains that bind him while Mekanikos uses his might to pull the monster back.

Below the stage another scene plays out. Clearly, there are two figures doing something, but what? And why? I'm going to leave those questions unanswered for now.

Each automaton I brought to Maker Faire had its admirers, but this one was undoubtedly the crowd favorite.

In the days to come, you can expect to see a far more detailed video of Mekanikos vs. The Minotaur.

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Automata by Dug North at World Maker Faire 2012

I participated in World Maker Faire New York for the first time this past weekend. Despite a bit of rain, it was a huge success all around.

Here's what my exhibit looked like moments before tens of thousands of people poured through the gates:

While I didn't get to see much of Maker Faire myself, I did get to meet a lot of people including fans, my favorite customer, readers, makers, Mark Frauenfelder, the awesome staff of MAKE magazine, Dale Dougherty (founder of MAKE Magazine and creator of Maker Faire), as well as fellow automaton-maker Philip Lowndes.

Here is a photo of my exhibit that I took quickly during a particularly slow moment. I received vast amounts of help from Julia Gavin and Bob Quinn (both shown behind the table in the photo below). I couldn't have done the show without them.

I won't kid you, it was all a lot of work, but it was well worth it for many reasons. I got to see thousands of faces -- young and old -- light up when the handles of my automata were cranked. That was tremendously gratifying. I also met many of you, the good readers of The Automata Blog. Thank you for coming by and for letting me know you enjoy the blog!

For those of you that couldn't make it, I'll be posting more videos of my automata on YouTube this week and perhaps even some footage of Maker Faire too!

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Mechanical version of the Donkey Kong arcade game

We've seen some interesting stuff here on The Automata Blog recently including a Lego assembly line, a paper robot that can walk, a working bicycle made of cardboard, and a greeting card that give you the thumbs up. Let's keep the awesome going with this mechanical/tangible version of the arcade game Donkey Kong made by M.S. Raynsford.

This is a simplified version of the full plan. Pretty incredible for a first version! The game is made almost entirely from laser cut (and decorated) parts. In this version, Mario jumps (via servo motor) over rolling ball bearings that run down actual ramps.

From the video description:

Built as part of a larger project this was my first attempt at a mechanical version of Donkey Kong. Time constraints meant I had to drop the XY CNC controller but hopefully explains why this is only V1. All the construction files and details can be found on my website MSRaynsford.co.uk

We can expect the fully functioning version at the UK Maker Faire, 2013. I can't wait!

Learn more about and see additional images of this mechanical Mario Brothers game on M. S. Raynsford's blog.

[ Thanks Julia! ]

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Man builds working bicycle almost entirely out of cardboard

We've seen time and again here on The Automata Blog that amazing mechanical things can be made out of unexpected materials such as paper and cardboard. Building a small mechanism that doesn't have to support much weight is one thing, but you can't build anything out of cardboard that takes a lot of weight or shock. Can you? This excellent film by Giora Kariv shows that you can. Follow along as Isreali inventor Izhar Gafni pursues his solitary quest to build a working bicycle from cardboard. He was inspired by a story he had heard about a working canoe made of the same material.

The literature on how to work with cardboard in this way was, shall we say... lacking, forcing Gafni to experiment with different fabrication techniques to see what the material could do. The secret to the strength of the material lies in folding the cardboard. With enough folds, the material becomes quite strong. We also see him dip parts in some type of liquid during his experiments. Whatever the liquid is, I'm sure it helps.

In the end, he sums up the creation well:

It's strong, it's durable, it's cheap. What I like about it the best? It's made out of cardboard!

He accomplished this feat after being told by three engineers that it was impossible. Let this be a lesson to all of us: if you have an idea, a passion for it, and a willingness to experiment and work in the face of doubt, you can accomplish things that have never been done before. Now...go invent something.

[ Thanks Bob! ]

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If you can take it apart -- if you can understand it -- you can make it better

This video tells the story of Mark Lesek, managing director of Dynamic Welding and Engineering in Tasmania. In December of 2003, Lesek lost his right arm in a car accident. This left him in need of an artificial arm. The difficulties associated with getting an artificial arm were monumental on every front -- medical, political, financial and technical. A man with great determination and considerable mechanical knowledge, Lesek decided to make his own arm based on historical designs. His patent searches revealed some incredible designs. To these he added his own innovations and together these have led to advancements that will be of benefit to millions.

His statement at the end of the video are words to live by:

It doesn't matter if it's a bike, or an arm, or your life: if you can take it apart, if you can understand it, you can make it better.

You can follow Mark Lesek on Google+, learn more of his story, and stay up to date with what he is up to.

Think prosthetic limbs are off-topic for this blog? Think again. All of the same mechanical components that we marvel over in automata and robots maybe be found in some of the sophisticated artificial limbs. There is a long history of automaton-makers working on and developing prosthetic devices. One good example is Jean Frédéric Leschot. Leschot, the adopted son of Pierre Jaquet-Droz, assisted in the construction of the three masterpiece automata known as The Writer, The Musician, and The Draftsman. Later in his career, he also made artificial limbs using the knowledge he had obtained from making complex life-size automata.

[ Thanks Joseph! ]

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Gizmos & Gadgets magazine featuring automaton plans by Dug North

It's here! Gizmos & Gadgets is a the new magazine that features my article showing you how to make a wood automaton from start to finish.

The magazine is a special edition issue put out by the publishers of Scroll Saw & Woodworking Crafts magazine.

About Gizmos & Gadgets:

From mechanical marvels to marvelous marble machines, Gizmos & Gadgets has something for everyone. From the simple to the complex, from the decorative to the functional, this issue will get your creative gears turning and your pride beaming when you see the smiles these hand made treasures will bring to the faces of those around you.

If it is not already at your local bookseller, it will be very soon. In the meantime, the Gizmo & Gadgets issue can be purchased online.

Stay tuned for more info about the magazine and the projects within!

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The Automata Blog reaches 2000 posts (not counting this one)!

Happy 2,000th Post!

Yesterday's post was officially the 2,000th post ever published to The Automata Blog! That's over 6 years worth of (almost) daily posts about automata, books, videos, plans, toys, exhibits, tools, and artists. Here are some ways you can explore the posts on this blog:

Use the Archives

The archives are located midway down the page in the site sidebar on the right side of the page. This is a chronological list (newest to oldest) by month. Each link will open all the posts for the selected month. Be patient; the page is loading 20 to 30 posts at once. This is a great way to stumble upon interesting random things.

Use the Labels

One or more labels are associated with each post. These are the links found just below the gray horizontal line at the very bottom of each post. Usually they are just a word or two. They are assigned when the post is written. They are a good way to search for items that have some quality in common. It's a loose form of cross-referencing. Labels are really good for finding all posts related to a specific person.

Use the Search

The search box is located in the upper section of the site sidebar on the right. The search is powered by Google, but will only search within the posts on The Automata Blog. Just enter a term and hit the gray button that says "Search". You will be directed to a new page that contains all of the search results. This is a good way to find very specific things.

I hope you will take some time to explore the blog. The posts are typically short, so you can see a lot of new things in a short time. I appreciate your visits and your support. Have fun!

-Dug North

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Ingenious Mechanisms for Designers and Inventors, 4 volume book set

The Glory of a Four-Volume Set

A numbered set of four hardcover books in bright orange that all but announce that you are a brilliant inventor. That's what you get with Ingenious Mechanisms for Designers and Inventors. Looks alone may not be enough for most people to buy this set, but when combined with the wealth of information contained within, it was certainly enough for me. I am very happy with my decision. Read on to find out why.

Lots and Lots of Machines

There are a huge assortment of multi-component mechanisms described in great detail in this four-volume set. The books offer multiple solutions for each category of machine. The organization of the material is a little clunky; you will need to browse all four books to find all of the possible solutions for a given mechanical challenge. That's OK: it just means you get to look exceptionally brilliant when someone comes upon you reading all four books at once.

The machines depicted in the books are of an historical nature. This is not a shortcoming, however. Mechanisms of the sort found in these volumes were state-of-the-art at one time. They are a testament to a practical, real-world ingenuity that most of us can't comprehend. These days we would leave the tricky stuff to a computer. The creators of these machines didn't have that option.

Clear Drawings and Heavy Reading

The drawings in the book are very good -- clear and well labeled line art reminiscent of patent drawings. Here's a sample of what you can expect:

Be prepared to spend some time with these books; they require some careful reading of several pages to understand how a given device works. It's not exactly a quick reference, but it is comprehensive.

Uses beyond Vanity: Education and Inspiration

I have not used much from these books directly in any of my automata projects. For automata makers, the more complex systems may seem like a lot to digest. Nevertheless, there are hundreds of mechanical elements that certainly could be used in an automaton or kinetic sculpture. I can say that these books have greatly improved my understanding of complex machines and they have served as inspiration on more than one occasion.

Let's Talk about the Price. Worth it?

The first glance, the price might set you off. Bear in mind that each of the four volumes weighs in at 500 pages or more. That's 2000 pages of detailed information on mechanical devices! The last time I checked (August, 2012) the set was selling for $108 (at 25% off). That comes out a little over $0.05 per page! Compared to less expensive books on mechanisms and devices, this set is actually quite a good deal -- especially if you factor in the free shipping of four heavy books.

While probably not the first book on mechanical devices you should buy, it is a set than any serious student of the subject should have. Here is where you can learn more and order you own set of Ingenious Mechanisms for Designers and Inventors

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Automata by Dug North at World Maker Faire NY 2012

I'm pleased to announce that I have been accepted to exhibit at the upcoming World Maker Faire in New York City! This is the 3rd annual Faire in the New York area and is among the biggest and best events of its kind. Attractions include:

• Maker exhibits - I'll be just one of over 500 maker exhibits total
• Presentations from leading voices in the Maker Movement
• How-to workshops on soldering, lock picking, Arduino and more
• Incredible attractions including the Life-Sized Mousetrap, Coke Zero and Mentos show, Power Racing Series, the now iconic Cupcake Cars

The event is an extravaganza of creativity, knowledge-sharing, and fun. I will be there showing something much like what you see below:

Come by and say hello, check out some carvings, ask me about good books on the topic, and turn the handle on an automaton or two.

Event Details
Date: September 29th & 30th
Time: Saturday 10AM - 7PM & Sunday 10AM - 6PM
Location:
New York Hall of Science
47-01 11th Street, Queens, NY

For more information on the event, visit the Maker Faire web site.

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Laser-cut Stirling engine kit runs on a single tea candle

Check out this lovely Stirling engine. As you can see in the video, it runs very well on a single small tea candle. In addition, the diaphragm material is easy to replace. The parts are laser-cut Medium Density Fiberboard (MDF).

This Stirling engine will be available as a kit from the nice folks at Bustedbricks.com, who also offer supplies the models, model engineering, and other hobbies.

For more info on Stirling engines (until you get the kit shown here, of course) check out the book Eleven Stirling Engine Projects You Can Build, which includes detailed reviews of 4 existing Stirling engine kits, several original engine designs by the author, and a few classic designs from the web. Many of the design in the book can be made with materials scrounged from around the house.

If you simply can't live without a one, this assortment of Stirling engine kits should keep you very busy. Enjoy!

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Students learn engineering principles and build relationships by creating automata

Scott Swaaley, a physics teacher in San Deigo, has created a remarkable educational program called Seniors Squared. Swaaley had his students design and create custom automata to teach them about physics and engineering principles. That's a great idea, for sure, but it didn't end there. Swaaley and his students took this educational experience to another level by partnering with local senior citizens. Here's an excerpt from his description of the program:

As part of a joint physics and humanities project, my high school seniors partnered with senior citizens from a local senior community center and designed, constructed, and troubleshot an automaton specifically for their senior citizen partner. My students learned and applied concepts ranging from torque, simple machines, and angular velocity to engineering design principles and the precision of an engineering proposal. Their project was accompanied by an engineering analysis of their piece as well as a series of writing pieces on their senior citizen (on which the automaton was based). Overall, my students were able to practice engineering, get involved with our local community, and to build a meaningful relationship with a local adult in need.

Because of this innovative program, Swaaley has been selected as one of 30 finalist for McGraw-Hill's Science, Technology, Engineering & Math Innovative Educator Award (STEMIE Award)! Voting has begun to select the winners, and you can help by voting now.

How you can vote for the Seniors Squared program:

1. Sign up to vote on the McGraw-HIll web site. It only takes 15 seconds!
2. Once you are signed up, you can view the application video on the grant website.
3. On the bottom right of the application page, under the description of the project, there is a green button that says "Vote for this". Please click it!

If you think this program is as great as I do, take a single minute (or less) to give him your vote!

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A new name! A new look! Same great-tasting automata!

I warned you a few months ago that changes were coming. Indeed, they have come. I'm dedicating more of my time to automata these days. Mostly, that means an increase in the time I spend in the workshop creating things. It also means a bit more time to attend to this blog.

I started my blog back in June of 2006. I knew I wanted it to be about automata for the most part, but struggled with what to call it. Which word would be better: "automata" or "automaton"? I decided to use both. So, the somewhat awkwardly named "The Automata / Automaton Blog" was born.

I'll confess: in an actual face-to-face conversation, that is a mouthful! I could also see that the good folks who link to my blog on the web also struggled with what to call it in their links. Sometimes they linked to "The Automata Blog", sometimes to "The Automaton Blog", sometimes to the full title. Making the name shorter started to seem like a good idea.

I've also become increasingly concerned that the title of the blog has led people to believe that the words "automata" and "automaton" are one and the same. Not so. I get a lot of email from excited, enthusiastic people who love my blog and want to show me what they've made. More often than not, they will refer to one automaton as "automata". It's a tricky work, for sure. For the record, here's how it breaks down:

Speaking of only one? Use automaton.
Check out my very first automaton!

Speaking of more than one? Choose either automata or automatons.
I love looking at all of the automata Paul Spooner has made over the years!

That said, welcome (or welcome back to nearly 25% over 30% of you) to The Automata Blog. I chose this title so as not to create undue confusion with the excellent blog titled Automaton -- IEEE Spectrum's award-winning robotics blog. If you like slightly higher tech things than what you find here, I encourage you to check out their news, articles, and videos. Great stuff.

The new shorter name can also be used to find the blog. Simply type AutomataBlog.com into a browser and you're there...um...here.

I thought the new name deserved a new look -- something beyond the simple black template I've been using for years. I can draw reasonably well, but I found the task too daunting. I had a dozen things in my head and no idea how to get them into a header graphic. After 5 years of avoiding the job, I knew it was time to hire a professional. The award-winning Canadian illustrator and cartoonist, Eric Orchard, created the image you now see at the top of the screen. My thanks to Eric! I couldn't be happier with the illustration.

Stay tuned for more changes in the coming months, including more of a behind-the-scenes look at the things I make. I also have a few other new things in mind for you. I hope you will come back often. I appreciate the on-going support that comes in so many forms: return visits, links on your sites, references in written work, word-of-mouth recommendations, invitations to tour exhibits, reviewer copies of books, the use of the Amazon links on this site, tips on things to post, and all of the kind email messages. Thanks for all of it. I'm honored to be part of this dialog.

All my very best to each of you!

-Dug North

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