DESCRIPTION:
Adding to youtube for the LEGO fans :) Original upload from vimeo: http://vimeo.com/78478457

These mechanisms are some of the prototypes for some of my larger projects, or mini projects in themselves:
- Drum trigger: I use this sort of mechanism a lot in pieces like Clunky Drummer where a sequence is encoded in the wide links in a chain loop. This particular experiment was intended to give a more punchy kick for a physical drum, or latch a mechanism to fire off something much bigger (I never got this working!)
- Nonlinear motion: I need to find the source I reworked this from, either a book or youtube video. The idea is that a universal joint generates a slightly elliptic motion when angled, so if you combine these together you get an exaggerated elliptic motion.
- Drum hammer: I needed something that would give some punch but not be a strain on the LEGO itself so this was a nice compromise but in the end I went for the more direct sprung hammers in Pot Drum (vimeo.com/69912771)
- Reciprocating motion: I've been trying to find a reliable way to do this for ages, but then found a really nice example online, full credit to this artist: youtube.com/watch?v=bsuNsCioa94
- Simple locking ratchet: reworked from 'Mechanisms for Intermittent Motion' (Bickford)
- Trigger release: this again was an early one for Pot Drum, I wanted to store up energy then release it all at one, never quite got it working as an automata, future challenge to self.
- Out of phase gears: this was made for a synthesiser tweaking machine, the gears are nicely out of phase so when attached to resonance, cutoff and various other synth inputs you get a lot of variation for pseudorandom effects.
- Mini clock: showing this working when cranked by hand. I've been working with clocks for ages so getting things this small was a real pleasure, the penny dropped when I realised I could use worm gears for a 1/20th reduction. My video of this running by itself on youtube: youtube.com/watch?v=eJbSPpCjXwc
- Monotron knob twiddler: I'm love this little thing and am going to make more of them! Again lots of out-of-phase gears tweak the various synth parameters, it's nice because you can 'hold' the sound so it's a really exploratory experience.
- Phased drum sequence: working on an earlier generative piece I was experimenting with bringing the chain loops in pieces like Clunky Drummer in and out of the performance by pushing them back and fourth with levers.
- Surprise ending, desk toy made for a friend :)