DShiznit wrote:
I said hundreds of knex enthusiasts, not hundreds of knex pieces. The number of pieces you'd need for a full digital mechanical computer would in in the hundreds of thousands if not over a million. However, getting a thousand or so knex enthusiasts to all combine their sets could get the numbers you need.
LOL!! ... Very true! (OMG, that must use hundreds of pieces!).
It depends on what you mean by "full computer" though. I'll bet an ALU could be made within a 2-foot cube; and I'll bet a primitive CPU could fit in a 10 foot cube. However, as for as for the RAM ... A MUX/DMUX for it could take up a lot of space! For this, I think 256 bytes of memory would be sufficient (8-bit addresses) to make the point. Of course, it would take a lot of time and pieces for sure (and a 16-bit system would certainly require that many people!)
shkaboinka wrote:
DShiznit wrote:
I said hundreds of knex enthusiasts, not hundreds of knex pieces. The number of pieces you'd need for a full digital mechanical computer would in in the hundreds of thousands if not over a million. However, getting a thousand or so knex enthusiasts to all combine their sets could get the numbers you need.
0x5!! ... Very true! (OMG, that must use hundreds of pieces!).
It depends on what you mean by "full computer" though. I'll bet an ALU could be made within a 2-foot cube; and I'll bet a primitive CPU could fit in a 10 foot cube. However, as for as for the RAM ... A MUX/DMUX for it could take up a lot of space! For this, I think 256 bytes of memory would be sufficient (8-bit addresses) to make the point. Of course, it would take a lot of time and pieces for sure (and a 16-bit system would certainly require that many people!)
You should put out feelers with other tech forums and see if there would be enough support for the idea. If it looks like there is, you can try to build a movement on facebook and get as many people as possible to chip in. Even knex enthusiasts who lack technical knowledge of this sophistication can still donate their collections to the cause. I know I would.
Well, I found this guy (waiting for response):
http://keshavsaharia.com/2011/05/29/lego-logic/
EDIT: He's already started exploring the design; WOOHOO!
If you think there's potential, start a facebook group. If it's legos you're using, I have 20-pounds worth I can donate if you're serious.
If he's on FaceBook, then it's a private account or another name. Also, I cannot build anything myself (time/money/etc.); but that's what Keshav has offered. ... that many Lego pieces would certainly help though! ... Sorry, I feel like I've hijacked this topic; is there a way to move it??
I am on facebook, private as you said, but i don't use it and I don't really like it.
Sorry, "He" is someone on another site ... which is why I asked to have the topic moved (since it has strayed from your original post; though it is very loosely related)
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