3D printed electromechanical computer

This 3D printed electromechanical punchcard reader is but one component of an ambitious project to build a whole, functional 3D printed computer. It's the brainchild of Chris Fenton from the NYC Resistor hackspace in Brooklyn.

3D Printed Electromechanical Computer

I write books. My latest is a YA science fiction novel called Homeland (it's the sequel to Little Brother). More books: Rapture of the Nerds (a novel, with Charlie Stross); With a Little Help (short stories); and The Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow (novella and nonfic). I speak all over the place and I tweet and tumble, too.

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Mantissa128

Jacquard would be proud.

His middle name was Marie! [snicker]
http://twitter.com/fossilfuels Funk Daddy

Ah yes, using advanced technology to develop less advanced technologies.

Ah yes. When the end comes this approach will assure us of our oblivion, which we would have had anyway.

Anyway, will this computer they are building play WoW? Really slowly maybe? Using the postal service? Like the first networked chess games. That’s all I want.
- Jim Davison
  
  Listen, this is simply the computational equivalent of a drooling, puking, diaper-crapping baby. You wouldn’t look at a new born and say with ridicule, “Ah yes, using adults to create babies”. So, roll up your sleeves, pinch your nose, and get to cleaning up your infant computer’s crap-chads.
  - Culturedropout
    
    > You wouldn’t look at a new born and say with ridicule, “Ah yes, using adults to create babies”.
    
    Actually, I probably would. Projects like this are interesting to see, and I’m sure they’re fun to build, but ultimately pointless to anyone but the builder. I’m impressed by the skills and ideas involved, but it’s not exactly going to save the world, is it?
    - http://www.xradiograph.com/ OtherMichael
      
      > it’s not exactly going to save the world, is it?
      
      He’s building something, and attempting to increase the sum-total of buildable-things.
      
      Who knows where that might lead. Possibly even a self-assembling 3-d printer+computer that doesn’t rely on a chip-fab being conveniently located on a nearby continent.
  - http://twitter.com/fossilfuels Funk Daddy
    
    I don’t care, if I can’t use it to send 3-4 45lb boxes of sequential punch cards to a central depository for redistribution to other players indicating which direction I ran during the RAID 3 1/2 weeks ago, I’m not interested.
http://kerim.oxus.net/ Kerim

I, for one, welcome our new self-replicating punchcard-reading overlords.