Electro Mechanical Pong

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http://www.cyberniklas.de/pongmechanik/index.html

How cool is that. Watch the video. entertaining and informative.

― Ed (dali), Wednesday, 22 September 2004 10:16 (twenty-one years ago)

and in german.

i like the score numbers changing.

BUT! joysticks?! pah!

― koogs (koogs), Wednesday, 22 September 2004 10:33 (twenty-one years ago)

Why do you suppose they made the machine? And why have they made a film about it? Actually, it was pretty interesting, although I still don't have much of a clue as to how it works.

― Kevin Gilchrist (Mr Fusion), Wednesday, 22 September 2004 10:43 (twenty-one years ago)

i think the table, ball etc is just a visualisation the game (replacing the tv screen), the various states (ball position, bat position, score, speed) are all independant of the mechanics. it still, for instance, does that slightly dodgy looking change of angle when the ball hits the bat (which is a programmed response, not a physical one)

― koogs (koogs), Wednesday, 22 September 2004 11:10 (twenty-one years ago)

is that jon williams in that front page?

― ken c (ken c), Wednesday, 22 September 2004 11:12 (twenty-one years ago)

Yeah, but why? Why try to visualise the game on a table instead of TV? It works fine on a TV!

― Kevin Gilchrist (Mr Fusion), Wednesday, 22 September 2004 11:12 (twenty-one years ago)

it's kinda cool!

― ken c (ken c), Wednesday, 22 September 2004 11:13 (twenty-one years ago)

It is kinda cool. Still...I wonder what's next - Bubble Bobble, made with string and solenoids.

― Kevin Gilchrist (Mr Fusion), Wednesday, 22 September 2004 11:15 (twenty-one years ago)

tetris!!!

― ken c (ken c), Wednesday, 22 September 2004 11:16 (twenty-one years ago)

that is amazing

― pete b. (pete b.), Wednesday, 22 September 2004 11:17 (twenty-one years ago)

i've actually thought about mechanical tetris before and how it can be made

― ken c (ken c), Wednesday, 22 September 2004 11:17 (twenty-one years ago)

Tetris is a good call. Thinking about it before now, however, is a little bit odd.

― Kevin Gilchrist (Mr Fusion), Wednesday, 22 September 2004 11:18 (twenty-one years ago)

i know.. i got stuck at thinking how a full row can be removed from the middle, and kinda given up.

― ken c (ken c), Wednesday, 22 September 2004 11:19 (twenty-one years ago)

Solenoids man! fire up that electromagnet and blast the row out.

― Kevin Gilchrist (Mr Fusion), Wednesday, 22 September 2004 11:20 (twenty-one years ago)

from slashdot:

>The next logical step would be to put the entire game in the basement and put a black/white video camera above it. Then wire it to your TV set.

> Why try to visualise the game on a table instead of TV?

it's people inventing problems in order to have to think about solutions. or having solutions and applying them to problems that aren't really problems. other people play football...

or maybe it's 'art', who knows? 8)

― koogs (koogs), Wednesday, 22 September 2004 11:20 (twenty-one years ago)

actually this has just given me an idea and now i actually can think of a (very expensive) way of making this. mechanical arms and magnets will replace viscous fluid so slow down gravity

― ken c (ken c), Wednesday, 22 September 2004 11:22 (twenty-one years ago)

-so +to

― ken c (ken c), Wednesday, 22 September 2004 11:23 (twenty-one years ago)

Slow down gracity? Man, I'm tired, and I've just taken a couple of sleeping pills, so I think it's slumberland for me - slowing down gravity both; sounds like an evil supervillain plot and; makes my head hurt. G'night.

― Kevin Gilchrist (Mr Fusion), Wednesday, 22 September 2004 11:25 (twenty-one years ago)

haha night! dream about anti-gravity tetris!

― ken c (ken c), Wednesday, 22 September 2004 11:31 (twenty-one years ago)

The best bit is that the computer is made using relays as logic gates rather than transistors and ICs.

― Ed (dali), Wednesday, 22 September 2004 13:02 (twenty-one years ago)

yeah that is impressive!

― ken c (ken c), Wednesday, 22 September 2004 13:06 (twenty-one years ago)

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