Paper models form the old Toy Shop computer program available online!

Back in the 1980s there was a program for the Commodore 64 computer called 'The Toy Shop'. The program allowed you to print out designs to make twenty paper models, many of which were kinetic. The models included trucks, airplanes, a carousel, a sundial, flying toys, a catapult, a working scale, several machines, a zoetrope and this amazing mechanical bank!

A wonderful web page documents all of the projects from The Toy Shop program, allowing you to download both the patterns and the instructions for free. Here is where you can view, download and make the 20 assorted projects from The Toy Shop software.

For more excellent paper models check out Paper Models That Move: 14 Ingenious Automata, and More. This book includes 14 whimsical projects for making automata out of cardstock. It is well-illustrated and explain the use of levers, gears, cranks, and other devices. The cut-and-assemble components allow papercrafters of modest skill and experience to build these models.

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Snap Circuits Extreme 750 with computer interface: The best way to learn electronics?

Snap Circuits Extreme is Elenco's largest set of snap-together circuits featuring 750 experiments -- including 73 computer interface experiments. The kit covers electromagnets, strobe lights, transistor AM Radio, solar power, and vibration switches in addition to all the other experiments included in their smaller kits such as the SC-100, SC-300, and SC-500.

Here's the link to Elenco Electronics Snap Circuits Extreme SC-750

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Disney's interactive design system for rapidly creating physical characters and their motions

Check out this amazing software designed by Disney which enables character shapes and their desired motions to be generated very quickly.

From the video description:

We propose an interactive design system for rapid crafting of planar mechanical characters. Our method combines the simplicity of sketch-based modeling with the ease of defining motion through extreme poses. In order to translate these digital designs into fabrication-ready descriptions, our method automatically computes the mechanical structure that makes the characters move as desired. We achieve real-time performance by limiting the mechanical structure between pairs of components to simple building blocks that define, trim, and propagate their motion. By focusing on shape and motion, our system emphasizes the creative aspects of character design while hiding away the intricacies of the underlying mechanical structure. We demonstrate the flexibility of our approach on a set of virtual designs and physical prototypes.

By paring things down to just a character's outline and motion, the program is able to quickly generate 2D prototypes that focus on the underlying mechanical structure. The third dimension (depth) and aesthetic considerations can come later and benefit from a different set of tools. I like what they've done here. Linkages can produce some astonishing output motions from some simple inputs. Figuring out these linkages is far from intuitive however.

Here is where you can learn more about ChaCra: An Interactive Design System for Rapid Character Crafting.

[ Thanks Seth! ]

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Book: Automatic Pleasures: - The History of the Coin Machine

I was just alerted to the fact that there is a new edition of this very interesting book on the history of coin-operated machines!

From the description:

The book established many new facts and destroyed many of the myths that had arisen in the gaming industry during the 20th century. Originally an ancient Greek invention the advent of the coin machine in the 19th century heralded a Victorian revolution which sought to establish a fully automated society. The visionaries of the past are the direct forbears of the all pervasive computer industries -- without the gaming and coin machine industries it is doubtful as to whether today's computer dominated age would have ever happened.

There are some really wonderful images and diagrams in this book. Be sure to use the "Look Inside" feature at Amazon to see what I mean!

Here is where you can buy Automatic Pleasures: - The History of the Coin Machine

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The automatic creation of automata: the computational design of mechanical characters

This could be a game-changer in the world of automaton-making. I don't think I've ever had the chance to say something like that.

I caught wind of this project some months ago, but the recent news of this incredible video comes to us by way of Falk Keuten at the excellent blog Spiel und Kunst mit Mechanik. This computer program created by a team at Disney Research, Zurich accepts a desired input motion and then generates the necessary gears and linkages to realize that motion.

From the research paper abstract:

Given an articulated character as input, the user iteratively creates an animation by sketching motion curves indicating how different parts of the character should move. For each motion curve, our framework creates an optimized mechanism that reproduces it as closely as possible. The resulting mechanisms are attached to the character and then connected to each other using gear trains, which are created in a semi-automated fashion. The mechanical assemblies generated with our system can be driven with a single input driver, such as hand-operated crank or an electric motor, and they can be fabricated using rapid prototyping devices.

And it's not all theory or computer simulations, either! The team demonstrated the versatility of the system by creating a bunch of mechanical characters, several of which were manufactured using 3D printing technology. The results are amazing, some showing subtleties of motion that are very difficult to design, but incredibly valuable to the final effect.

Here is the Disney project web site. Here is a link to the research paper (PDF) titled Computational Design of Mechanical Characters.

[ Thanks to John, Falk, and Fred ]

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Mechanical universal Turing machine uses ball bearings for memory

This charming contraption is described a "mechanical universal Turing machine". According the all-knowing Wikipedia:

A Turing machine is a hypothetical device that manipulates symbols on a strip of tape according to a table of rules. Despite its simplicity, a Turing machine can be adapted to simulate the logic of any computer algorithm, and is particularly useful in explaining the functions of a CPU inside a computer.

Here is a presentation by the maker, Jim MacArthur, describing the background of the machine. I gather the catch with this machine is that you have to assume that the length of track is infinite.

The machine was made mostly out of scrap metal and wood. The components include magnets, springs, cams and levers. It uses ball bearings as its memory. No electrical components were used, other than one small motor used to drive it.

[ Thanks Christoph! ]

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SIGGRAPH Asia 2012 -Technical paper describes a program that solves for automaton mechanisms

The video above features some of the many papers to be presented at SIGGRAPH Asia, a conference for computer graphics professionals. There are a lot of amazing things in there! Most notable is the one you will find at 2:05.

Given a specified rigid motion in one model (such as the one on the left) the program solves for simulated mechanisms that produce the desired motion (right). I assume the intent is to then use this information to produce plans for creating the actual automaton in the physical world.

You can learn more at SIGGRAPH Asia 2012 on the event web site.

[ Thanks John, Kendrick, and Ashok! ]

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Cram Guy - a kinetic sculpture by Seth Goldstein

Take look at this video of a wildly inventive kinetic sculpture by Seth Goldstein! The piece depicts a student studying for an exam who falls asleep at his desk and starts to dream. I love the diversity of objects used in this piece.

[ Thanks Brad! ]

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3D video animation clearly shows the workings of the Antikythera Mechanism

Have you heard of the Antikythera Mechanism? If so, you will enjoy this beautifully done 3D animation that shows its component parts and functions.

If you haven't heard of the the Antikythera Mechanism, it is an ancient artifact currently housed in the Greek National Archaeological Museum in Athens. The mechanism is a thin metal object that was found by divers in the wreckage of a ancient Roman ship off the coast of Greece in 1900. It was clearly a sophisticated instrument of some kind with a surprisingly modern style gear train. That alone was a startling discovery, but the exact purpose of the machine remained a mystery for a long time.

Recent studies, advances in imaging technology, and painstaking reproductions have led scholars to believe that the device was a form of mechanical computer. The elaborate gear train was used to calculate the movements of stars and planets for points in the past and the future with great accuracy. Scientists and scholars believe it was build around 87 B.C. -- making it one of the most sophisticated ancient devices in existence. According to an article on the Antikythera Mechanism in the journal Nature, its mechanical sophistication would see no equal until mechanical clocks appeared in western Europe in the fourteenth century.

For a more complete story of the Antikythera Mechanism, check out the book Decoding the Heavens: A 2,000-Year-Old Computer--and the Century-long Search to Discover Its Secrets.

[ Thanks Joseph! ]

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The Hacker automaton by Pablo Lavezzari

This new piece by Pablo Lavezzari depicts a futuristic hacker furiously coding while referencing his notebook full of encrypted codes and formulas. The piece generates the electricity it needs via a dynamo powered by turning the crank. It's an ingenious and fantastic design -- typical of Lavezzari's autoamta. I love the detail and overall aesthetic treatment!

See more of Pablo Lavezzari's automata on his webs site.

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Computer controlled marble sorting machine

Take a look at this video of a wood and brass marble sorting machine. The machine is monitored and controlled by a computer. As the marbles start down the track, their color is detected and certain gates are opened by servos to sort them. From there, they pass through a series of steps until they are finally placed as sets into waiting holders. I wonder what type of sensor is used to determine the color of the marble.

I love the grooved wood Archimedes screw marble lift!

[ Thanks Christoph! ]

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Animation shows the geometry of a Geneva Wheel

If you are curious about the geometry of a Geneva Wheel -- or simply want to know what a Geneva Wheel is, check out this animation created in Autodesk Inventor 2012 Professional by New Gottland.

See more sculpture by New Gottland on his YouTube channel.

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Why Not? - crazy necktie knotting contraption

Just in time for our recently declared Contraption Week a convoluted contraption whose sole purpose is to tie a necktie. This kinetic sculpture by Seth Goldstein does not involve a person, no neck...just a robot and its knotted tie. I admire the dedication and considerable ingenuity!

[ Thanks Christoph! ]

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Thinking Machine by Martin Riches & Masahiro Miwa

The Thinking Machine by Martin Riches and Masahiro Miwa uses rolling balls and mechanical track switchers to play a programmed sequence of notes on pipes. It has to be one of the most beautifully haunting computers I've ever heard.

From the video description:

The "Thinking Machine" is a ternary computer that outputs melodies formed by three sounds as resulting from the calculations. Whether binary or ternary, it is a computer in the terms of a Turing machine. In Thinking Machine the algorithm is fixed as a mechanical mechanism so it is not a versatile Turing machine or von Neumann type computer. However, like all computers Thinking Machine is a logical machine that can process code, and is an actual object that expresses discrete time within real time.

You can learn more about this and other machines at http://martinriches.de.

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The Toy Shop – 20 Marvelous Mechanical Models

Back in the 1980s there was a program for the Commodore 64 computer called 'The Toy Shop'. The program allowed you to print out designs to make twenty paper models, many of which were kinetic. The models included trucks, airplanes, a carousel, a sundial, flying toys, a catapult, a working scale, several machines, a zoetrope and this amazing mechanical bank!

A wonderful web page documents all of the projects from The Toy Shop program, allowing you to download both the patterns and the instructions for free.

Here is where you can view, download and make the 20 assorted projects from The Toy Shop software.

[ Thanks Julia! ]

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ASIMO the walking humanoid robot turns 10

Honda celebrated the 10th anniversary of ASIMO, one of the world's most advanced humanoid robots, on Sunday October 31.

I didn't realize they have the little fellow moving at a run these days -- albeit still in that funny semi-crouched posture.

To mark the anniversary, Honda has launched a website hosting films and photographs detailing ASIMO's evolution over the past 10 years.

[ Thanks Steve!]

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Homemade Lego-based felt tip pen printer

Based on the number of YouTube views, this video might be old news to some, but I hadn't seen it. Check out this completely home-made Lego-based printer complete with on-board Lego people!

A small snippet from the YouTube description:

Lego felt tip 110" printer connected to an Apple Mac. This is not mindstorms, I designed/built/coded it all from scratch including analog motor electronics, sensors and printer driver, the USB interface uses a "wiring" board.

Here's a link to the post on YouTube with an extensive FAQ section.

[ Thanks Julia! ]

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Video of LittleDog autonomous quadruped robot

Check out this amazing autonomous four-legged robot, created at the University of Southern California.

From the USC's Computational Learning and Motor Control Lab site:

The goal of the Learning Locomotion Project was to use machine learning techniques to create autonomous control software for a robot quadruped such that it can traverse unknown rugged and complex terrains. As experimental platform, the LittleDog robot was chosen, which is about 30cm long and 20cm high, with three degrees of freedom per leg. The specifications for the project required that the robot should achieve a speed of at least 7.2 cm/s and climb over obstacles up to 10.7cm (for humans, this would correspond to obstacles of 50% body height which are traversed at slow walking speed).

Here is an full article on the robot entitled Teaching a RoboDog New Tricks.

[ Thanks Christoph!]

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Rolling ball sculpture shows computing principles

From the video description:

This rolling ball sculpture, called "The Emulator" was commissioned in 2007 for SUN Microsystems. It was designed to compare traditional, single-threaded microprocessors with new multi-threaded microprocessors. This video shows only one side of the sculpture. The other side has a single chain, representing the single-threaded processor.

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Decoding the Heavens: Antikythera mechanism

Decoding the Heavens: A 2,000-Year-Old Computer--and the Century-Long Search to Discover Its Secrets is about the the Antikythera mechanism a mysterious and sophisticated mechanical device recovered in 1901 from an ancient Mediterranean shipwreck. It is now thought to have been built about 150 - 100 BC and represents the first known analog computer designed to calculate astronomical positions. It's an astonishing piece of ancient mechanical technology with a fascinating history.

From the Publishers Weekly

Marchant, editor of New Science, relates the century-long struggle of competing amateurs and scientists to understand the secrets of a 2000-year-old clock-like mechanism found in 1901 by Greek divers off the coast of Antikythera, a small island near Tunisia. With new research and interviews, Marchant goes behind the scenes of the National Museum in Athens, which zealously guarded the treasure while overlooking its importance; examines the significant contributions of a London Science Museum assistant curator who spent more than 30 years building models of the device; and the 2006 discoveries made by a group of modern researchers using state-of-the-art X-ray. Beneath its ancient, calcified surfaces they found "delicate cogwheels of all sizes" with perfectly formed triangular teeth, astronomical inscriptions "crammed onto every surviving surface," and a 223-tooth manually-operated turntable that guides the device. Variously described as a calendar computer, a planetarium and an eclipse predictor,Marchant gives clear explanations of the questions and topics involved, including Greek astronomy and clockwork mechanisms. For all they've learned, however, the Antikythera mechanism still retains secrets that may reveal unknown connections between modern and ancient technology; this globe-trotting, era-spanning mystery should absorb armchair scientists of all kinds.

Here is a link for more information on the book Decoding the Heavens: A 2,000-Year-Old Computer--and the Century-Long Search to Discover Its Secrets

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