Unplanned Steampunk Arcade Machine #1
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- čas přidán 1. 06. 2024
- How exciting. After many requests, I'm going to make a steampunk arcade machine. It's not going to use any electricity, having to rely entirely on gravity instead. I haven't planned it or drawn anything - a freestyle design if you will!
I've got a few vague ideas, but please let me know your exciting ideas. Any sketches can be emailed to john@steamhead.co.uk. I look forward to seeing them! - Věda a technologie
There used to be an arcade full of machines like the one you showed at a place called Ocean village in Southampton. It's long gone now but I used to love going there as a kid. There's something magical about using only mechanical power! Love it
I think they actually had the game you showed too!
First thought that came in my head, is a very simplified vintage Plinko game. But instead of pins, small mechanisms, gadgets, devices that would drop the ball one way or the other, as it goes down. More of a game of chance, over something you can play like you mentioned. But, it's all I got.
That's an interesting idea, I've just looked up Plinko. Funnily enough I have been thinking about trying to recreate the old space invaders video game, but upside down. Plinko is similar - I'll have a thinko! Thank you for your thoughts.
Just thinking of the machines of Tim Hunkin, but he uses power for them all. As for theme, my brain was going to some sort of chase. The ripper is escaping, or Mr. Holmes is off trying to gather clues and capture a crook. Maybe around the world in eighty days theme? Balloons, obstacles and other fun steampunk items to add in.
Brilliant - I'd love to have a story behind the game - Jack the Ripper or Sherlock Holmes would be perfect! There's also the possibility of having a time element introduced by the weight and handle slowly falling to the bottom. Thank you!
John, I am so excited to see where you take this! Inventing at its finest!!
Would it be too much like magic to incorporate reverse polarity magnets to push things around? My ideas are free, but you get what you pay for!
Repulsion, what a good idea, that would introduce more chaos like those executive toys.
I love it - thank you! Some sort of magnetic repulsion would provide all sorts of random behaviour. Not sure how it would work with a steel ball, although perhaps I could magnetise it. If possible, it would certainly look amazing. I've added it to my list.
@steamhead I'm sure you've already penned down some fantastic ideas, and maybe settled on one already, but I had a thought to share. Wouldn't a Victorian game with the object of sinking 18th century French warships be neat/ appropriate?
@@tomtomiseka couple of people have suggested some sort of Sherlock Holmes or Jules Verne adventure which would be very exciting. Sinking a French warship also sounds intriguing! Thanks for the idea.
Some initial thoughts... When you lift the handle, it could be lifting a weight, which is then used to power the machine. You could probably easily enough repurpose a clock mechanism to convert the energy into rotation. If you are going to have it generate power I wonder if it would be enough to have it light up some leds while the machine is in operation. Not cheating if the player is the one generating the power right? Might be more efficient to get one of those hand cranked flashlights and use the generator from that.
Thanks very much for your thoughts. That was the premise I was working on - get the player to lift up the weight and release the ball at the top, then let it slowly fall during play, using it's energy to move game elements. I was thinking about using a small motor as a short circuited generator to slow down the movement, although having it light some LEDs is a great idea - not cheating, as you say!
Hi John looks like an interesting project my thoughts:
Maybe attached to the side is a picture of something iconic, say the Eiffel tower which is pasted onto a number of wooden plaques and as your ‘machine’ goes into action each plaque is nudged by a rod which turns it 180 degrees revealing another picture on the other side step by step from top to bottom as the machines actions are completed, hope this makes sense.
Either way I’m sure it will be great and I look forward to following the progress.
Thank you, I hadn't even thought about decorating the machine, let alone having changing images!
What a great idea, which could also be used as part of the game!
I suggest considering this option. There is an old game "U Drive it" where you controlled a small car on a magnet that drives across bridges in a circle, if you crashed into a bridge, then the car detached from the magnet. What if you do this vertically, instead of a car, a flying ship is an airship, and instead of obstacles, clouds and other ships? I would draw you a sketch of what I mean, but I don't know where to send the picture (I draw poorly). And as a hint here you can look at mechanical computers with balls and marble machines
Exciting stuff, thank you! I've just looked up "U Drive it", and that idea has a lot of potential. As you suggest, it could work vertically with an airship and clouds as obstacles - brilliant!
I was wondering whether it would be possible to include a reference to Charles Babbage's Analytical Engine and to Ada Lovelace who wrote the first ever computer program. So many lovely things to think about!
I remember a horse race game on a table with the horses on magnets, the would flip around and look daft going up the course.
@@Woffy.Using magnets to hold the ball, or some other item on the game is a great idea, especially considering the powerful magnets that are available these days. Take a wrong turn or hit something and you fall off!
Arhhh magnetic balls !. Strong ones available but you would need to make the track out of non ferrous metal where you balls would come to rest but mot impossible also don't smack them into each other as they are sometimes brittle. One advantage is the field could flip flags and magical stuff. This may float your boat, solar garden light permitting the ball to close a circuit illuminating LED's as it goes, modded to only operate with the ball in play. i.e at rest it opens the LED circuit. so should maintain a charge. Usual bells whistle and coffee maker, that would be handy. Did you see that link to; four swanny whistles and a desmodromic servo drive ?. Have you a theme yet. Best to Ziggy @@steamhead
@@Woffy.Magnetic balls could work, as I assume the tracks will be made of brass, acrylic or wood - thanks for letting me know they are a thing!
Great idea to use LEDs. I know I said I would avoid electricity, but as someone else pointed out: if I use a motor as a generator to slow down the ball dropping mechanism, I've got a source of 'honest' electricity!
I haven't even thought about sound - loads of potential with bells and whistles and coffee makers!
With regard to a theme; a couple of people have suggested a Sherlock Holmes or Jules Verne adventure which would be perfect. So many exciting ideas to think about. I recon this first arcade machine will be the first of many!
Hi - I really like the finish on your projects - I'm sure you have better ideas - but @4:00 it sounds like those handheld games from the 1970/80's - some you would wind up, some had batteries for the single motor but could have run off gravity - eg. "Tomy Yeeaghh ! Obstacle Course pinball Game" or "Screwball Scramble" or maybe "Blip - 1977 Mechanical Pong" for ideas...?
That's a great idea, fond memories of the wind up ones. I'm now going to have to find out how the Blip - 1977 Mechanical Pong works - amazing inginuity! Tomy Yeeaghh and Screwball Scramble also look amazing - so many ideas. I've added info and photos to my ideas sheet. Thank you!
Rube Goldberg would be a great source of action items for this design.
Thank you, his work is definately an inspiration for this project. It's fascinating and challenging getting away from electricity and having to rely on gravity, mass and momentum!
Understudy to Heath Robinson.........
@@Woffy.His illustrated inventions are an absolute joy to behold, such an inspiration to a young steamhead!
What a great idea ! Where is Ziggy ??
Thanks Marwan, it is an exciting new venture. Ziggy is doing well, although sadly doesn't seem that interested in arcade games - I have tried explaining them!
You could make it a large circular "ball in a maze" type puzzle which is rotated through 360 degrees by the lever.
Or have a ball which works its way from top to bottom along a series of slanted tracks etc. and the lever moves a horizontal bar up and down which using skill you can capture the ball and lift it back higher up and so keep the ball in play for as long as possible. When a new game starts the lever can be used to lift the ball back to the very top to start the new game (only problem I see with this idea is I have no idea how this would actually work ;-)
Another thought: The lever could operate an air pump which inflates a balloon and the machine is operated by this compressed air, the larger the balloon gets the faster it runs and the skill is judging how fast to operate the machine???
Maybe put the machine on its side and have two levers to operate the game.
I can see you've got a good imagination - starting to work out how it might be possible! I love the rotating maze idea - it could also be used with a themed game, like Sherlock Holmes chasing someone around the backstreets of Victorian London.
I'm definately going to pursue the idea of being able to keep the ball in play. Today I've been working out how the ball lifting mechanism can 'remember' if the ball can be lifted again, if it's still in play. What joy!
Compressed air is an interesting idea, although I foresee issues in getting it to work things as it escapes from the balloon. I've never used them, but I was thinking about using offset gears - two gears the same diameter, but offset on their axles. I think this would cause the rotation to speed up and slow down...
I'm definately going to have other controls that move elements of the game - hence the fact I didn't glue on the glass supporting twiddly bits!
Thanks very much for your ideas - so many lovely things to think about!
@@steamhead I presume you are aware of Tim Hunkin's creations? , he makes all sorts or weird and wonderful arcade games which may give you some more inspiration - "Novelty Automation".
@@alanesq1Thank you. Tim Hunkin is amazing - he should definately be mentioned whenever refering to Heath Robinson! He's also fairly recently produced a great series of videos on CZcams. I love all his displays in London's Science Museum, and on a pier somewhere...
You could use pendulum clock wind up mechanism.
Thanks Ibrahim, I did think about using a clock coil spring, but decided, for the first time, to keep it as simple as possible! The lifting knob mechanism can be quite heavy in order to store a lot of potential energy, which can then be released slowly (still working this out). It means that the lifting mechanism could also 'remember' if the ball is still in play when it reaches the bottom, so could be lifted up again, if it is.
How about a Bagatelle like game, where the pins could be moved by the operator?
That's a nice idea. Currently a popular suggestion is having a game based on a Jules Verne adventure, which may well have some sort of bagatelle element. It's so difficult to pin it down to just one idea - I think it'll have lots of different mini games built in!
Took me a few days to get around to watch this. Exciting! The first idea that came to mind when hearing 'steel ball' was that it could have some musical component. I immediately went to the Wintergatan Marble Machine czcams.com/video/IvUU8joBb1Q/video.html - some small glockenspiel component or similar. Would make a nice reward for the player. Or a major annoyance after the 100th go.
Thank you Chris - it's proving to be such an exciting invention! A jules Verne adventure with a musical component currently seems the way forward.
Thanks for the link to Wintergaten and the suggestion of a musical reward.
I send you an email.
Thank you, I'll read it shortly.