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The FIBIAC — a 3D-Printed Electromechanical Computer

Posted by Soulskill on from the don't-teach-them-how-to-breed dept.

Brietech writes "'Behold the FIBIAC! It's loud! It computes! It uses actual punch cards!' The FIBIAC is a simple, stepper-motor based, (mostly) 3D-printed electromechanical computer. The program is stored on a loop of paper punch-cards, and the machine uses three, 3-digit electromechanical counters for storage (which could be expanded to support more complicated programs) Watch a video of it computing the Fibonacci sequence, or jump on Thingiverse and build your own."

22 of 42 comments (clear)

  1. Wow, imagine a Beowulf cluster of these! by jfdavis668 · · Score: 5, Funny

    and how many cards that would take.

    1. Re:Wow, imagine a Beowulf cluster of these! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

      But does it run Linux?

    2. Re:Wow, imagine a Beowulf cluster of these! by lister+king+of+smeg · · Score: 2, Funny

      maybe if you wrote a emulator for that 8 bit risc processor that emulated the arm running linux (http://linux.slashdot.org/story/12/04/02/191203/gnulinux-running-on-an-8-bit-processor). but if that was slow this would be monstrously so but it would be the ultimate geek cred

      --
      ---Saying gnome 3 is better than windows 8 not so much a compliment as it is damning with light praise.
  2. Video is kind of disappointing by gman003 · · Score: 1

    This thing is cool and all, don't get me wrong, but the video was a bit of a letdown. Very quiet (when the blog states one goal was "Have lots of moving parts (preferably loud ones)", and not a very good show of how it actually works. It didn't even use 2/3rds of the "digits" - the video stops after reaching 8, so only the first digit of each register was used.

  3. Re:Imagine... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    Imagine two Beowulf clusters of these, running in parallel.

  4. Re:Build your own? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Informative

    To be fair, it doesn't actually make use of a CNC mill (and the 3D printer in the video is clearly a Makerbot Thing-o-matic).

  5. Re:Hew hew by jcr · · Score: 1

    The post above raises an interesting question: should spammers die in a fire, or is that too good for them?

    Discuss.

    -jcr

    --
    The only title of honor that a tyrant can grant is "Enemy of the State."
  6. Re:Build your own? by JohnBailey · · Score: 1

    Sure, build your own. All you need is a 3D printer (required quality unknown), a laser cutter (no problem, I have two in the garage; snerk), CNC mill (also have a couple of these laying around), and who knows what else.

    Simple, real simple.

    Wow... So building stuff requires tools.. Who knew..

    --
    It is difficult to get a man to understand something when his job depends on not understanding it.
  7. Does this mean... by TimothyDavis · · Score: 1

    Does this mean that we are close to the diamond age?

  8. Boy, that Hertz by macraig · · Score: 1

    So how many gigaHertz is that CPU? What's its TDP? If I water-cool it can I overclock it?

    1. Re:Boy, that Hertz by BKX · · Score: 1

      it's .000000001 GHz. TDP is something low. No.

  9. Re:Hew hew by macraig · · Score: 1

    How about printing every single instance of the spam on 24-pound bond paper and then make the spammer eat it? We could be generous and make the rate of consumption, say, one page every minute? Do we pre-shred it for him or make him fully masticate it? He'll have an entire minute to chew and swallow, after all.

  10. Self-replication by raptor_87 · · Score: 3, Interesting

    Is the computer sufficient to run a 3D printer?

  11. Re:Build your own? by thephydes · · Score: 1

    You just don't get it do you? Of course he needs tools, you tool. Just as you need tools to find that porn so that you can play with your tool - which you are obviously better at than appreciating what someone else has done.

  12. a loop of paper punch-cards by Artifex · · Score: 2

    ...why not punch tape?

    I still have some from when I was a little boy and my parents brought home their used mylar gold/metallic green tape, and we made Christmas tree chains.

    --
    Get off my launchpad!
    1. Re:a loop of paper punch-cards by jfdavis668 · · Score: 1

      Are you trying to make an actual Turing Machine?

  13. Cute, but... by Kergan · · Score: 2

    Will it blend?

    1. Re:Cute, but... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      I assure you, it will blend. Don't breathe this!

    2. Re:Cute, but... by Yvan256 · · Score: 1

      Not sure it will blend, but at least it will shred.

  14. Re:Hew hew by macraig · · Score: 1

    Nope, that's digest mode!

  15. Steampunk by Intrepid+imaginaut · · Score: 1

    This is badly crying out to be a brass and mahogany Steampunk project.

  16. Credibility by mbstone · · Score: 1

    Who is going to believe the output of a machine named FIBIAC?