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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."

7 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. 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).

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

    Is the computer sufficient to run a 3D printer?

  4. 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!
  5. Cute, but... by Kergan · · Score: 2

    Will it blend?