Musical marble machine created by Martin Molin plays amazing song

Videos of this machine have been all over the internet for the last few days. Many of you and taken the time to write to me to make me aware of it. I thank you all!

The machine, made by Martin Molin, uses an elaborate marble track system to create a sophisticated song. There are some 2000 marbles raised by a tracked elevator which is powered by some vigorous hand cranking. As they descend, the marbles strike the right parts of a glockenspiel, percussion instruments, and bass guitar. A lever system allows the operator/musician to turn selected instruments on and off. This allows the machine to be played in a way that goes beyond simply turning the crank and allowing the programmed track to run.

It's an amazing accomplishment technically and musically. Bravo!

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Ro-Bow - a robot that plays a real violin

Seth Goldstein dropped me a line to let us know about a machine he created which plays tunes on a real a violin. This mechanical wonder was recently featured in the New York Times. Here is a link to the article on Seth Goldstein's RO-BOW. In the video, Goldstein explains the basic components of the machine and how they work together make the machine perform musical magic.

Machines that play the violin are not new -- some may be seen at The Morris Museum in New Jersey. Check out the wonderful book on the collection called Musical Machines and Living Dolls. Still, Goldstein's robot is of a differnet, more modern variety, capable of replicating any tune that can play on a keyboard. It works on some very unique and ingenious principles. Truly amazing.

You can find out more about Seth Goldstein on his web site, which has information and video showing his other pieces Why Knot? and Cram Guy.

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Intel creates kinetic art robotic music system inspired by an animated video

A couple of years ago, a video made the rounds on the internet. (Strangely, I don't think it appeared here on The Automata Blog.) It was a 3D animation of an intricate musical system in which bouncing balls triggered notes on an assemblage of musical devices. It was pretty convincing. I think there was a bit of confusion in some circles as to whether the machine was a real thing or not. It wasn't, but now it is. The folks at Intel have used that video as inspiration to create a machine that does more or less what the one in the video did! That's what you see above.

For reference, here is the original video titled Pipe Dream:

Here is where you can learn more about the embedded Intel technology for industrial automation that was used for this project.

[ Thanks Christoph! ]

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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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Fritz, the open source robotic head, reaches $41,000 dollars in funding on Kickstarter!

Kerwin Lumpkins has a startup company that recently had a robotic head project on Kickstarter. As you will see in the video, Fritz is a robotic puppet head that you can control with an easy to use computer application. The advanced version has moving eyes, jaw, eyelids, eyebrows, and neck.

From the company web site:

Fritz is an animatronic puppet that is controlled by an Arduino microcontroller. Fritz was created to provide an inexpensive introduction into robotics that is both entertaining, creative and educational. With an open source directive, Fritz is accompanied by a PC application to provide you with an easy to use interface in customizing and interacting with the project mechanics.

The project is currently funded way over it's goal of $25K. In fact, they received over $41,000 in funding from 236 backers. The crowd has spoken and they want laser cut wooden robot heads! I love this crowd.

You can learn more about Fritz the robotic head on the Kickstarter page or on the www.xyzbot.com web site.

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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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Sphero robotic sphere is controlled by smartphone

The Sphero is robotic remote-controlled ball that can be directed with an iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, or Android device. Controlling Sphero from your mobile device is accomplished in a variety of ways including tilting and gesturing on your device.

The Sphero comes with apps for you device that allow you to play with it in different ways. They call this "Mixed-Reality Game Play" in which real objects and virtual elements are both used for a game. The possibilities seem endless. I love the idea of setting up obstacle courses for it. You could improvise a most unusual indoor miniature golf course with little more than the things already in your living room. There is also the intriguing possibility of fooling your friends and annoying your cat. The Sphero can also be programmed to perform a recorded sequence of actions so that it can then run semi-autonomously.

Here is where you can read a whole lot more about the Sphero Robotic Ball.

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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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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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Typewriters driven by pin-cylinder-programming

Many automata, looms, music boxes, and other machines use pins protruding from a rolling cylinder to program a sequence of actions. Here's an artistic application of this technique entitled Remember. The large pins on these wooden cylinders activate long wooden arms which type words out on each of several typewriters. Together, the typewriters write a complete sentence...over and over and over...

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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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Build a programmable mechanical music box

Some time ago, I posted about the Gloggomobil, a programmable music machine. Here is an Instructable for making a very similar device. On the Gloggomobil the movable pins trip hammers which strike the keys on a Glockenspiel to play the tune. This device is similar in construction in most respects but the tune is played on a large version of the thumb piano.

Here is a link to the Instructable on how to Build a Programmable Mechanical Music Box.

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Roboni-i programmable gaming robot system

Roboni-i is a programmable gaming robot system that comes with a base station, energy port, special effects hub, and three universal gaming pads. You can play one of seven included games or modify parts using a Windows PC (XP or Vista) and the included software. This looks like a pretty sophisticated toy!

From the robot description:

Depending upon the game you select (or modify using the software) each accessory serves a unique purpose: the base station can act as a depot, timer, or target; the energy port ejects a ball (which is corralled by the robot's built-in scoop) and recharges the robot; and the special effects hub provides robots with advanced maneuvers and abilities. The robot has infrared sensors and radio frequency identification chips that allow the robot to react to the game's accessories and other competing robots, helping it to avoid obstacles, navigate autonomously, and participate in any of the six included games. The games involve the robot picking up different colors by driving over encoded pads and delivering them to the hub before time expires, collecting a ball while avoiding "bullets," dropping electronic "land mines" to obstruct competing robots, and more.

Here's where you can get the The Roboni-i programmable gaming robot.

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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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Vintage 1930s Zilotone muscial automaton tin toy

Made in the 1930s by Wolverine Manufacturing Company of Pennsylvania, this vintage musical automaton toy plays the xylophone. The tune it plays is "programmed" on the profile of a cam measuring about 3" in diameter. By changing the came, the little figure will play any one of six songs:

1. The Farmer in the Dell
2. Yankee Doodle
3. My Old Kentucky Home
4. Sidewalks of New York
5. Silent Night
6. Listen to the Mocking Bird

Here is the eBay listing for this particular Vintage ZILOTONE Muscial Automaton Toy

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K'nex programmable automaton based on Hero's

Back in 2007, I posted about a recreation of an invention by Hero (or Heron) of Alexandria -- a working model of a self-propelled, programmable cart that was used on the theater stage. Here is an instructable about how to make something similar out of K'nex construction toys.

If you or someone you know wants to make this or a million other crazy contraptions, here's where you can get K'NEX construction toys.

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LEGO palette handling automation set up

This nifty programmed LEGO contraption rotates two sets of blocks around a square track (similar to palettes in automated factory set ups) without mixing the them.

[ Thanks Keith! ]

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LEGO Mindstorms NXT 2.0 - The Ultimate Toy?

LEGO Mindstorms NXT 2.0 is the newest generation of programmable LEGO toys featuring a slew of new hardware and software features. This is arguably the ultimate toy available today -- combining your physical constructions with programmable electronic elements. Start by building one of 4 robots in the included instructions, then...build nearly anything you can dream up.

This new generation of LEGO Mindstorms features:

• A 32-bit microprocessor
• A large display
• 4 input and 3 output ports
• Bluetooth and USB communications
• Three servo motors
• 4 sensors (Ultrasonic, 2 Touch Sensors, and a new Color Sensor)
• Easy-to-use software with icon-based drag-and-drop programming
• 612 pieces total

Here is the link for the LEGO Mindstorms NXT 2.0 set.

Here are some LEGO Mindstorm 2.0 books to help you take your creations to the next level.

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Husqvarna's semi-automomous stealth Automower

In case you missed this over on the BoingBoing Gadgets blog the other day, you've got to check out the latest totally stealth-looking autonomous robotic lawn mower from Husqvarna. I wonder if it can be detected by radar.

From the product description

The Automower 260 ACX is designed for semi-professional use in business or public environments as well as for demanding consumers. Like all Husqvarna's robotic mowers, it charges and operates itself without need for supervision. Should anything disturb the operation, 260 ACX sends a text message to your mobile phone. Thanks to 6000 sq. meter (1.4 acre) capacity, low noise level and no requirement of labour, Automower 260 ACX is perfectly suited for use in quiet environments such as hospitals, hotels and leisure facilities, and office locations. Day or night, rain or shine, it simply gets on with the mowing, leaving you free to get on with managing your business.

Here is a link for more info on the Husqvarna Automower.

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SRV-1 Blackfin Mobile Surveillance Robot

The SRV-1 Mobile Robot is a palm-sized treaded robot sporting a mini video camera. This means you can control the robot via console software or remotely via web browser! The system appears to be very open, allowing advanced hackers/programmers/secret-agents to modify and enhance it.

From the product description:

Using 802.11b/g wi-fi, the SRV-1 connects wirelessly to a computer. The Java-based console software includes a built-in web server to monitor and control the SRV-1 via a web browser from anywhere in the world, as well as archive video feeds on demand or on a scheduled basis. Get programming with fully open-source software for robot and host computer.

Check out the extensive details on the SRV-1 Blackfin Mobile Surveillance Robot.

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