The Topsy Turvy Clock by Andy Clark

Andy Clark of The Workshop Shed blog made this, The Topsy Turvy Clock, after being inspired by a kids TV show, featuring a clock with numbers in the wrong places.

Andy Clark explains:

I saw a clock with the numbers in a Topsy Turvy order and wondered if I could actually make it work. After concluding it would be too much of a technical challenge to make it entirely clockwork, I decided to use stepper motors and software control. I wanted it to look like an original mantel clock so the brass mechanism and style of numerals were key. I had the numbers laser cut in card by a company who normally make wedding table decorations so the what I call "antique white" is actually "champagne". I started planning in late November last year so it's been a long build with mechanical, electronic and software challenges. I finished it just this week after a month of fine tuning and completing the software.

Here is where you can learn more about the Topsy Turvy Clock. It's also been entered in the Atmel Simply AVR Design Contest, so be sure to vote for it!

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Zaher The Magician - a modern take on a classic magic-themed automaton

The automaton shown here was created by Haydn Davies over a period of 18 months. The piece is made of plaster of Paris, wood, brass, aluminum, steel, ball bearings, and stainless steel. It relies on servo motors, a microprocessor servo controller, a computer power supply, a miniature passive infrared sensor, and other electrical parts to perform its magic.

Zaher is on display at the Mechanical Art and Design Museum (MAD Museum), Stratford Upon Avon, England. This fantastic automaton is currently for sale.

Here is where you can learn more about Zaher The Magician.

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Programmable acrobat robot with 17 servos and 75 moves

Check out this is acrobatic robot! The robot has a repertoire of 75 moves that include somersaults, backflips, and a variety of comical moves.

From the Advanced Acrobatic Robot description:

With a 60 MHz microcontroller, the robot has 17 servos that work in unison with an included gyro sensor and accelerometer to maintain balance and stability while providing lightning-quick movements that suggest humanoid sentience, commanded by an included wireless gamepad remote control. The points of articulation in its neck, arms, hands, legs, and feet are so precise that the robot can be commanded to pick up and hold objects with its hands, feign a soccer kick, or punch the air as if it were performing a martial arts kata-it can even bow to its audience after a performance.

The robot comes with software that works on Windows 7, XP, and 2000 allowing you to program additional actions via an included USB cable.

Here is where you can get the programmable acrobatic robot.

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"A World Around" - kinetic sculpture by Jim Jenkins

Check out this fascinating piece from artist Jim Jenkins titled A World Around. The piece is a motorized rolling ball sculpture with illuminated text elements. Jenkins uses an Arduino microcontroller to orchestrate various actions (i.e. the motors and lights) through a two minute cycle.

From the video description:

A track is mounted on a motorized base. As the base moves it causes a small globe to make irregular orbits around a yellow house. Intermittently illuminating on the interior walls of the house are the words "YOU, ME, US THEM."

See more kinetic sculpture by Jim Jenkins on his web site.

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Giffi set: build kinetic sculptures & simple robots

Giffi is an invention/construction set which allows you to build kinetic sculptures and simple robot-like creations. The kit is made up of three types of moving parts -- rotating, straight line motion, and sweeping -- connected by supporting parts. You bring your moving creations to life by combining the different parts and connecting the power via a battery box or wall plug.

Giffi was created by Kuan-Ju Wu, a tangible interaction designer, toy maker, and kinetic sculpture artist.

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"Zoltar Speaks" coin-op fortune teller recreation

Did you ever see the Tom Hank's movie Big? Do you remember the fortune teller machine? What appeared to be a classic vintage coin-op fortune teller was actually just a prop. The "magic" of Hollywood. The one shown here, made by Roger Hess, is a fully functional stand-alone interactive game. In 2008, Hess built this incredibly accurate working replica in his basement workshop! Amazing.

Zoltar was featured in an article the Homebrew section of MAKE magazine, Volume 21.

You can contact the creator via email at parlour.automata at gmail.com.

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