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.   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 ?

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.

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.   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 ? 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.

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.

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.   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 ? 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.     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.

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.

The only difference here is that he's using switches that increase the point values.

It would be a "calculater inside a game!"

They just went with a really complicated way of doing it.

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.   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 ? 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.     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. 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.

Well taking 30 steps to do something you can do in 5 steps is more so it's obviously better.  Duh.

twesterm said: 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.   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 ? 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.     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. 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.     Well taking 30 steps to do something you can do in 5 steps is more so it's obviously better.  Duh.

Ah... so they're all government contracters.

Basically, your version is sticking a multiplexer into a bread board and making a calculator with it.

The LBP level and the lego machine are the multiplexer.

EDIT:  Or you taking your car to go to the grocery store (your calculator) and another guy building a car from scratch and taking it to the grocery store (lego/LBP).  End result is the same (which might be why you are confused) but one is clearly a more impressive feat.

@Kasz

What the guy in LBP was impressive, if only from the standpoint of making sure all the connections were right and the operations were happening correctly, etc. But it is not all that impressive from a technical standpoint as the only thing needed is a way for bits to be detected and switched. These mechanisms in the game are meant more for creating some cool puzzles and not making a calculator. There definitely could be some very interesting things that could be made with these primitive processing tools. There are definitely an endless amount of possibilities with this game, but a calculator is not something that impresses me.

Yeah... that's basically what i mean.

Well that and he went a long way to do something that should be really easy to do for no good reason... I mean unless LBP is missing some pretty easy and important triggers.

Wow.

So much LBP hate in this thread.

This game is going to be epic.

That's not the phrase you usually say