JaggedSac on 07 October 2008
Working 3 digit LEGO Babbage Difference Engine (Computer)
Full size photo
A fully functional mechanical Babage Difference Engine style calculator made from LEGO Techic. It can compute tables of answers to 3 digits by turning a hand crank
Full size photo
I have built a working 3 digit Babbage style Difference Engine, in effect a mechanical calculator/computer made from LEGO Technic parts. It has over 200 gears, 24 shock absorbers, and thousands of other pieces.
Details including more photographs and theory of operation at:
http://acarol.woz.org
It can evaluate any polynomial of the form aX^2 + bX + c, for x = 1, 2, 3, etc. Calculations are up to three digits. For example, the normal "test" polynomial I use is X^2. The machine will output: 1, 4, 9, 16, 25, 36, 49, 64, 81, 100, 121, etc.
I am considering adding another digit column for four digit answers and adding another difference level so that it can evaluate cubic (X^3) equations. This would require doubling the number of rotor adders from four to eight.
It stands about 18 inches tall and is about 25 inches wide. It takes a bit over 100 turns of the hand crank to compute an answer. That's about one answer every 40 seconds.
Details including more photographs and theory of operation at:
http://acarol.woz.org
It can evaluate any polynomial of the form aX^2 + bX + c, for x = 1, 2, 3, etc. Calculations are up to three digits. For example, the normal "test" polynomial I use is X^2. The machine will output: 1, 4, 9, 16, 25, 36, 49, 64, 81, 100, 121, etc.
I am considering adding another digit column for four digit answers and adding another difference level so that it can evaluate cubic (X^3) equations. This would require doubling the number of rotor adders from four to eight.
It stands about 18 inches tall and is about 25 inches wide. It takes a bit over 100 turns of the hand crank to compute an answer. That's about one answer every 40 seconds.
