The Binary Marble Adding Machine

Matthias Wandel built a rudimentary digital computer out of wood. The ingenious Binary Marble Adding Machine is, basically, a 6-bit adder that runs on gravity and uses mechanical flip-flops for memory storage.

[ schematic courtesy of Matthias Wandel ]

Here’s a demo video:

More info on the lovely Marble Adding Machine:

• More on the binary marble adding machine

• Plans for the marble adding machine

• How the marble flip-flop works

Other interesting creations of Matthias Wandel:

• Wooden Machines

• Marble Machines

(hat tip: Rick Regan)

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Tags: Art, Binary Marble Adding Machine, Computers, DIY, Matthias Wandel, Mechanical Computers, Mechanical Devices