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Pong. With real paddles! | by DerSarek | 2006-11-19 12:55:59 |
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COOL | by scissors | 2004-09-22 02:31:54 |
| The video |
by binkley |
2004-09-22 03:27:34 |
was reasonably good, and gave detailed descriptions on how it works. The only digital controls are switching relays... no processors. The movements are entirely driven by DC motors, and all velocity changing events (ball to paddle) are caused by mechanical contact and switch/relay closure. The "computer" is just a small relay implemented FSM driving the motors directly.
None of that leaves much capacity for man against machine.. The best that could be done is to have the un-manned paddle just traverse back and forth and hope for contact.. Sorta like me when I'd play pong ;-)
It certainly harkens back to the early days of computing (and by that I mean pre transistor, not pre PC). In fact, it looks like an oportunity for a new generation to learn about the reliability issues of electomechanical devices, and why computing as we know it could never be based upon that kind of technology.
Fun article.. thanks to scissors for posting it. |
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