A Thingiverse user called Qwertyzzz18 is gradually designing and uploading models for all the parts in Charles Babbage's Difference Engine; no word on whether the Analytical Engine will be next, but man, that'd be pretty hot.
As awesome as Babbage's difference engines are… my hat is off to Thingiverse citizen qwertyzzz18. Qwertyzzz18 is uploading, piece by piece, a DIY 3D printable difference engine to Thingiverse. Babbage dealt with theory – and qwertyzzz18 is making them accessible. Even if you travel out to the Computer History Museum in Mountain View, California, no one is going to let you take it apart, turn the pieces over, or change out parts.2 Now anyone with a Thing-O-Matic can print out the parts and build their very own.3
- Boing Boing: Difference Engine mechanical computer made from legos
- Manchester's steampunk difference engine adventure
- HOWTO maintain a Difference Engine – Boing Boing
- Difference Engine unboxed at Silicon Valley Computer Museum
- Babbage Difference Engine No. 2 Recreation Coming to Computer …
- Ten beautiful computers – Boing Boing
- Babbage difference engine No. 2 now operational – Boing Boing
- Ada Lovelace biopic needs letters of support – Boing Boing
