Class 1-2 and Project Notes

I am going to be keeping my Physical Computing without Computers class and projects notes in here along with support of my wiki and instructables. I wouldn’t want to use different kind of mediums but it looks like it is for the best for now.

So, brief information, the class is all about using mechanical forces instead of using electricity to make our computers work. I am really excited about this since I do have a novice level of mechanical skills which I am hoping to improve over this semester. By help of this class of course.

Our first assignment is to build a pendulum clock. Gilad, Tikva and I shared the papers to be cutted and set a date for thursday to get together and start folding and gluing. It went pretty good, right now we are 70% finished the clock. Here are some pictures below:

Apart from the clock, we have another assignment which is to build a stirling engine. We bought most of the parts for this and hoping to start this in a couple of days since both assignments are for next week!

In the class we talked about how pendulums work, how pendulum clocks work according to that. Couple of things, since the weight on the pendulum is added some gravity which effects it over time, we have to wind the clock once in a while. Depending on the clock per se. Also the length of the pendulum is what decides the intervals of tiktak. We definitely see date, moon’s movement, AM/PM when loooking at clocks. Those are called complications. Caliber 89 is the world’s most complication-ed watch.

We also talked about how to generate power.

Aeolipile which is invented by hero of Alexandria is the first steam engine that’s known in the history.