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Brothers Build World's Largest Model Airport
kkleiner writes "Frederik and Gerrit Braun, energetic twin brothers with no shortage of dreams, have just finished construction of the world's largest model airport. With 40,000 lights, 15,000 figurines, 500 cars, 10,000 trees, 50 trains, 1000 wagons, 100 signals, 200 switches, 300 buildings and 40 planes, Knuffingen Airport is both a wonder to behold as well as a technological tour de force. The best part of Knuffingen is that it's alive. Forty planes and 90 vehicles move about autonomously. Located in Hamburg, Germany, the model is based on Hamburg Airport."
Wow. How cool and fun!
In other news German police have arrested two terrorist suspects who are believed to have assisted the terrorist by designing a complete working model of Hamburg Airport. The police claim that this model was to be used to train terrorist for future attacks against the airport.....
How many model TSA agents does it have, autonomously groping passengers?
From TFA:
The airport, roughly 150 square meters (over 1,600 square feet), is breathtaking to behold. But the Brauns’ masterpiece is even more than an autonomous feast for the eyes: it’s interactive. Visitors can push buttons on the railing surrounding the model airport to induce up to 11 different programmed scenarios. A visitor who pushes the button labeled “Fire incident” will see smoke begin to billow out of a house, and then actual flames. The fire house will sound the alarm and begin flashing its lights. Moments later the fire brigade–3-4 vehicles located randomly about the airport–will turn on their lights and start heading towards the fire. At intersections the fire engines will sound their horns and cars will yield the right of way. Meanwhile the fire grows bigger! After the fire engines converge on the burning house the PC decides whether or not the fire has been successfully put out. If not, another alarm is sounded and additional fire engines (up to 35!) from the neighborhood come to the rescue.
AI programming along with all the complicated physical inputs too. Amazing
There should really be a link to the whole site of the Miniature Wonderland, where the airport is merely integrated as a small part (!). The whole thing is a huge attraction, and I can't even imagine the amount of maintenance it needs. They have created their own control software and direction systems for a few hundred, magnet-driven street vehicles and trains. It's really quite impressive.
http://www.miniatur-wunderland.com/
This is what life was like when Petroleum was widely available and used on a frequent basis to fly people quickly around the world.
I hope you are enjoying the ride on the blimp.
Yeah, also every 1 out of 25 million flights should explode due to a terrorist attack.
I'm sure a teensy and thermite should do the trick.
If you want to see a better video, with some of the behind-the-scenes tech exposed, check it out here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mRQ2pOGwVag&feature=channel_video_title
What is this? An airport for ants?!
Never say never. Ah!! I did it again!
They don't do that here in Germany. Flights to the US have an extra layer or two of security theatre, but German airport "security" is more or less a respectful version of what the US had about 25 years ago but with better X-ray technology. Now the UK, that's another matter...
With all that work I'm really surprised to see such a lack of taxiway and runway lighting and signage. But I'm a pilot and notice that more than the gee-whiz neatitude of the moving planes and ground support.
Check out the Diary, it is in German but most have English transcripts. It has a lot more on when goes on behind the scenes. http://www.youtube.com/user/MiWuLaTV#grid/user/5F525544A3296EEB
Good thing they did not build a layout of the area they are in
http://imgs.xkcd.com/comics/model_rail.png
You forgot that plane loaded with bomb isn't likely to explode near the airport.
In fact did that happen even once?
Besides my point still stands. Airport is where planes land and take off, and that isn't simulated by that model.
More train sets please...
And to model the line at the grab-my-crotch search properly they'd have to make a loooooot of little people.
We used to have a Bill of Rights. Now, with the rights gone, all we have left is the bill.
Well, since none blew up so far I guess it's accurately modeled.
We used to have a Bill of Rights. Now, with the rights gone, all we have left is the bill.
A short German lesson
Knuffingen is a joke name which can be translated roughly as Cuddlington. (cuddly - ton). -ingen is a common ending of old town names in southern Germany. It's instantly recognizable as describing a town or village.
-- Put crudely, the world is an extremely large problem instance. (Russel/Norvig Artificial Intelligence)
Yes it is! In fact most of the video is showing the planes land and take off.
If there weren't model airports they wouldn't have gotten the idea for the big airports!
Violence is the last refuge of the incompetent. Polar Scope Align for iOS
This might just be the stupidest waste of time I've ever seen in my life, and that's coming from someone who has lived through the Vietnam and Iraq wars. I want to Tour de Force these morons right into a labor camp digging holes for the rest of their lives as they contemplate the meaning of "pointless."
In their first year (2001) they had a revenue of 2 million Euros, 11 Mio. in 2007. Yeah, I wish I had such a pointless hobby.
Fandroids hate facts.
http://www.miniatur-wunderland.com/ is their homepage. You can at least by some DVDs there.
"Is it friday yet?"
The 2 brothers own the "miniature world" tourist attraction in Hamburg, employing a lot of people.. so to say "2 brothers" did it as if no one else helped is a bit of a... lie.
Quite unlike Donald Trump, who builds all his buildings on his own.
Fandroids hate facts.
But these landings/takeoffs are faked!.
Every people has it own taste. I personally don't like this.
Okay, I forgot to login, so here is the link again: My Picasa Gallery with Pictures from the MiWuLa
It is a very interesting website full of interesting stuff
The $25 computer for example
http://singularityhub.com/2011/05/10/a-25-computer-the-size-of-your-thumb-video/
or an actual flying car ($200,000)
http://singularityhub.com/2010/07/06/terrafugia-car-plane-gets-more-faa-aproval-hitting-skies-and-roads-2011-video/
There are some interesting robots/ milling machines
http://singularityhub.com/2010/04/05/5-axis-robot-carves-metal-like-butter-video/
for example
The summary for the model airport is quite misleading as the airport is part of a number of miniature attractions and employ's 150 people and cost millions to make and is a popular tourist attraction.
Blarney Quality Restaurant, Plants
One time I was in Germany touring a factory. We get in one part of the building and the guide excitedly starts showing me the model of the room. This particular room was simply a storage room for excess stock and supplies. And in the corner of the room covered with a plexiglass case is the model. It was really nice, had the exact same number of shelves, tables, and boxes.
The guide proceded to spend about 10 minutes pointing out exactly how each shelf had the same number of boxes arranged in the same position as the ones in the actual room. Yes and the boxes were proportionally the same size and colors. Notice how the shelves have the same labels as the actual shelves... and also notice how the....
blah blah blah...
Seriously. We're in the room and touring the model of the same room. It was quite surreal. Now... from the article.
Oh no, not this again!
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Faller Cars at Gaugemaster
£84.10 - £107.70 per vehicle.
Does anyone else think that they could pull off something like this vastly cheaper?
"You're right," Fisheye says. "I should have set it on 'whip' or 'chop.'"
All it needs is a guy in a Godzilla costume to make it complete.
Proverbs 21:19
Great pictures!