Anyone know what this thing is?

Posted by James Floyd Kelly (Jim) February 01, 2006

Anyone know what this thing is?

I've seen this picture quite a few times, but I can't quite figure out what it is... any thoughts?

UPDATE: Based on some comments I've received, it appears that this is a CLOCK. See the hour and minute hands on the lower-front? Not sure if the definition of a robot includes the standard clock, but I'm quite surprised and impressed to see this little design.

Comments

Anonymous said…

I think it's a clock.

Feb 1, 2006, 7:06:00 PM

James Floyd Kelly (Jim) said…

Filip,

I think you are correct... it's funny how you can look hard at something and miss the obvious. Those do look like the hands of a clock.

Jim

Feb 1, 2006, 11:05:00 PM

Anonymous said…

This is definitely a clock with a minute and hour hand on it. The clock is like a "hello world" example compared to what the NXT system can actually do, but it is a fun thing to build.

Don Wood

Feb 2, 2006, 2:19:00 AM

James Floyd Kelly (Jim) said…

I wish most of the images I've found were larger and of higher resolution. While I agree that the item is a clock, it is difficult to see how the minute and hour hands are independently controlled. My knowledge of how clocks work is not grand, but I would think this would require 2 of the servo motors. One would rotate 6 degrees for every minute, right? The other would rotate 30 degrees for the hour. Now, how woud 2 motors be able to spin the hands from the 'center point'? Wouldn't you think they would interfere with one another OR at least one of them wouldn't be exactly centered? It seems to me that an axle would have to be inserted through a hollow (larger) axle and I'm not sure that the NXT system would have that level of complexity for its small blocks/components.

Feb 2, 2006, 2:48:00 AM

Koshdukai said…

Jim,

Easy, use a turn-table as the "external/hollow axle" as I think they did with this clock if you look closely.

:)

Feb 13, 2006, 7:27:00 PM

James Floyd Kelly (Jim) said…

Koshdukai,

You may be right... I didn't consider that the face of the clock might have a fixed hand and the face rotates... very nice solution... THANKS!

Jim

Feb 13, 2006, 11:33:00 PM

Anonymous said…

It Might be a really high tech yet off topick Clock

Jul 1, 2006, 9:12:00 AM

Anonymous said…

You can find this on lego.com, there is even a building instruction!

Sep 3, 2006, 3:00:00 AM

Anonymous said…

http://mindstorms.lego.com/buildinginstructions/
There u are

Sep 3, 2006, 3:01:00 AM

James Floyd Kelly (Jim) said…

Thanks, Jeff, but you're about 8 months late :) This was posted back in January and the mystery was solved a few months back (maybe longer)...

Jim