Pongmechanik: a mechanical version of Pong! The surprising thing here is that it's not microprocessor-controlled: they built it using relays. Photos,
Quicktime, translation. Die Pongmechanik!
Pongmechanik: a mechanical version of Pong! The surprising thing here is that it's not microprocessor-controlled: they built it using relays. Photos,
Quicktime, translation.
Tags: computers, mpegs, toys
Current Music: S.I.N.A. -- That's it (Down Under Rmx) ♬
15 Responses:
I want one.
I wonder if it smells like ozone under heavy play.
I think it's kind of sad that we've made it to the point where the lack of a microprocessor is surprising.
What's sad about that? Are you sad when people don't hand-lathe the wood for their own kitchen tables?
mmm.. Tandy Model T. Love your icon.
Coolest. Hack. Ever.
pong man-chu!
21st century pong!
For a few years now I've wanted to build this idea, but across my entire living room. I'd put two rails down the long walls, with a short rail running between them, and some kind of vertical telescoping rod that could traverse that rod, and then maybe bend sensors so the ball on the end of the rod could tell when it hit things and at which angle to reflect off again. The ball could then slo-mo bounce around the room as if in space. Alright, so my idea wasn't exactly Pong, but I was imagining batting it around with ping pong paddles.
Now I just need a giant box of relays.
Movie: "...This is a relay. The relay is used for generating electric shocks."
I had always thought that the mechanical version of Pong was air hockey. heh.
I can't wait for the bio-mechanical version of pacman, involving cranial implants on mice.
I'm hoping for a scaled-up version of Pac-Man reenacted by killdozers.
yeah, isn't that already in the works somewhere in foreignland?
My understanding is that the original Pong didn't have a microprocessor either. It was done with a state machine implemented in TTL. I don't have any references for this.
This seems to be the modern equivalent of "Pong in TTL logic". Very cool! But then again, these days even Pacman seems to fit into a single chip. I feel old!
I thought it was cool how they go it to sense when it hits the paddle - there's a metal pole sticking out of the bottom of the ball assembly, and if it hits a metal plate on the paddle or back wall it makes a connection and changes direction. And i was wondering how they handled angular bounces - i guess if it hits the top or bottom extremities of the paddle it goes at a 45º angle, otherwise it goes straight. Is this how real Pong works?