Kasz216 said:
bobobologna said:
Kasz216 said:
Staude said:
JaggedSac said:
Working 3 digit LEGO Babbage Difference Engine (Computer)
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.
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impressive but a little offtopic. The reason this was so awesome was because it was with the beta tools for a game.. it's basically the "level editor"
But yeah, pretty awesome :P got a video ?
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Except that's not impressive. It should be really easy to make a calculator with the level editor unless it's been dumbed down or limited in some way.
I could make a simple one in level editors on similar computer games by just having a "Score A" a "Score B" and a Score C"... where C is the effect B has on A dependent on what symbol is on screen.
It'd take all of 5-10 minutes.... with no programmign knowledge needed.
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Except that wouldn't be making a calculator. That would be like typing in "=A1 + B1" in the C1 cell in excel and claiming to have created a calculator in excel.
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I'm really not seeing the difference.
It would accomplish the same thing. Hit a box and Score A goes up, hit a second box and Score B goes up.
Hit a third box and the +,- etc changes.... changing the operation and how C is effected.
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Well taking 30 steps to do something you can do in 5 steps is more so it's obviously better. Duh.
