3 ms·

Maybe we move in this direction in the future. For example, "Rod logic" in The Diamond Age, which is likely inspired by Drexler's nanotech idea that nanoscale m

Maybe we move in this direction in the future. For example, "Rod logic" in The Diamond Age, which is likely inspired by Drexler's nanotech idea that nanoscale mechanical computers may have advantages (energy?) over electric ones. More in-line with the video: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mechanical%E2%80%93electrical_analogies https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mechanical%E2%80%93electrical_...

undersuit 4y ago
There's been some work with 3d printing mechanical gates: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=19259364 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=19259364 I would really like to get a resin 3d printer to create some dense circuits that would be stupid amounts of extruder printing.
RobotToaster 4y ago
I'm not sure if mechanical copies of electrical circuits will do that though, it will probably be something more babbage engine like.
pjc50 4y ago
There are two serious problems with mechanical computing that would need nanoscale solutions: wear and sticking/friction.
thechao 4y ago
In about 2004 my alcoholic mechanical-genius of a roommate looks at me and says: "I think this computer thing is staying; here's a cool fact: a car's differential is an adding machine, but it's analog and not digital." Making an analog device into a digital device requires finding a way to add saturation in finite time. For differentials, this can be done by letting rotation represent the value of the device. Here's the plan we sketched out in ~2005... let `D(x,y) = (x+y)/2` represent a differential (we used spur gear differentials because they're more robust & easier to manufacture). Then, if 1=clockwise, and -1=counterclockwise, then we get the following truth-table for `I0 := D(L,R)`: I0 := D(L,R) == 1 1 = 1 1 -1 = 0 -1 1 = 0 -1 -1 = -1 We then can use another spur-gear differential with a floating input and two palls on the floating (F) side and the output to "clamp" the result (which has to be scaled by 2x): `I1 := D(I0,_)*2`: I1 := D(I0,_)*2 == 1 F = 1 0 F = 0 -1 F = 0 Finally, we scale the output and add -1: `I2 := D(2*I1,-1)*2`, converting back to 1,-1. This is an "AND" gate. You can build "OR", "XOR", "NOT", etc., fairly easily. EDIT: A similar device can be made from those Japanese bamboo water gates. If you've got a bucket with a hole in it, then the bucket will drain if the amount of water coming in is less than going out. So, if the input is A, and the output is 3/2A, then if we've got two inputs we've got (A+A) > 3/2A. So, the result is that with 0 or 1 inputs, the bucket drains, with two inputs it overflows. The bucket is attached to an arm, and it is the far end of the arm that has a channel with water coming in to the channel; notice, that the water in the bucket only controls the flow of the water in the channel; it is not the water in the bucket providing water into the channel. If the bucket is full, then the channel is up and no water flows; otherwise the bucket allows water through. This forms a NAND gate. I've never found a way to make this reliable, although I didn't really try.
klyrs 4y ago
Funny thing, the maker of Spintronics made Turing Tumble first -- it's a similar game which explores mechanical (marble) logic! https://upperstory.com/turingtumble/ https://upperstory.com/turingtumble/

undersuit 4y ago

There's been some work with 3d printing mechanical gates: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=19259364 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=19259364 I would really like to get a resin 3d printer to create some dense circuits that would be stupid amounts of extruder printing.

RobotToaster 4y ago

I'm not sure if mechanical copies of electrical circuits will do that though, it will probably be something more babbage engine like.

pjc50 4y ago

There are two serious problems with mechanical computing that would need nanoscale solutions: wear and sticking/friction.

thechao 4y ago

In about 2004 my alcoholic mechanical-genius of a roommate looks at me and says: "I think this computer thing is staying; here's a cool fact: a car's differential is an adding machine, but it's analog and not digital." Making an analog device into a digital device requires finding a way to add saturation in finite time. For differentials, this can be done by letting rotation represent the value of the device. Here's the plan we sketched out in ~2005... let `D(x,y) = (x+y)/2` represent a differential (we used spur gear differentials because they're more robust & easier to manufacture). Then, if 1=clockwise, and -1=counterclockwise, then we get the following truth-table for `I0 := D(L,R)`: I0 := D(L,R) == 1 1 = 1 1 -1 = 0 -1 1 = 0 -1 -1 = -1 We then can use another spur-gear differential with a floating input and two palls on the floating (F) side and the output to "clamp" the result (which has to be scaled by 2x): `I1 := D(I0,_)*2`: I1 := D(I0,_)*2 == 1 F = 1 0 F = 0 -1 F = 0 Finally, we scale the output and add -1: `I2 := D(2*I1,-1)*2`, converting back to 1,-1. This is an "AND" gate. You can build "OR", "XOR", "NOT", etc., fairly easily. EDIT: A similar device can be made from those Japanese bamboo water gates. If you've got a bucket with a hole in it, then the bucket will drain if the amount of water coming in is less than going out. So, if the input is A, and the output is 3/2A, then if we've got two inputs we've got (A+A) > 3/2A. So, the result is that with 0 or 1 inputs, the bucket drains, with two inputs it overflows. The bucket is attached to an arm, and it is the far end of the arm that has a channel with water coming in to the channel; notice, that the water in the bucket only controls the flow of the water in the channel; it is not the water in the bucket providing water into the channel. If the bucket is full, then the channel is up and no water flows; otherwise the bucket allows water through. This forms a NAND gate. I've never found a way to make this reliable, although I didn't really try.

klyrs 4y ago

Funny thing, the maker of Spintronics made Turing Tumble first -- it's a similar game which explores mechanical (marble) logic! https://upperstory.com/turingtumble/ https://upperstory.com/turingtumble/