Tag: machines

November 6, 2013 at 2:12 pm

This 240-year-old Machine is an Ancestor to the Modern Computer

This 240-year-old Machine is an Ancestor to the Modern Computer

An automaton (plural: automata or automatons) is a self-operating machine or robot. Seen above is the Writer, an automaton built in the 1770s by world-renowned Swiss watchmaker, Pierre Jaquet-Droz (1721-1790). Made from nearly 6000 parts, the Writer is a self-operating, programmable machine, capable of writing letters and words with a quill pen. The 240-year-old…

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October 29, 2013 at 1:05 pm

This ‘Flying Drawbridge’ in the Netherlands is Amazing

This 'Flying Drawbridge' in the Netherlands is Amazing

Photograph by Bert Kaufmann Located in the city of Leeuwarden in the Netherlands is Slauerhoffbrug (English: Slauerhoff Bridge), a fully automatic bascule bridge sometimes referred to as a ‘tail bridge’. Slauerhoffbrug, which is affectionately known as the ‘Flying Drawbridge’ can be quickly and efficiently raised and lowered from one pylon (instead of hinges). This…

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February 19, 2013 at 2:05 pm

Picture of the Day: This LEGO Mold Made 120 million Bricks

Picture of the Day: This LEGO Mold Made 120 million Bricks

This LEGO Mold Made 120 million Bricks Photograph by Zane Thorn @ LegoGod.com In the historic photo above we see a retired LEGO mold on display at the LEGO Factory in LEGOLAND California. The mold made a staggering 120 million bricks before being decommissioned. The photograph was taken by Zane Thorn, operator…

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July 10, 2012 at 1:23 pm

This Machine Prints Brick Roads

picture of the tiger stone brick laying machine in action

Block paving (also known as brick paving) is an alternative to an asphalt road. It’s typically used for aesthetic purposes on roads where traffic is relatively slow. Unfortunately, the process of laying these roads is manually intensive and can by quite harsh on one’s back and knees. Dutch-company Vanku BV sought to address this…

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April 26, 2012 at 4:48 pm

The Largest Land Vehicle in the World

The Largest Land Vehicle in the World

Photograph via mejjad The $100 million Bagger 288 (Excavator 288), built by the German company Krupp (now ThyssenKrupp) for the energy and mining firm Rheinbraun, is a bucket-wheel excavator or mobile strip mining machine. When its construction was completed in 1978, Bagger 288 superseded NASA’s Crawler-Transporter, used to carry the Space Shuttle and Apollo…

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