South Pointing Chariot Animation

Jingle Bells

South Pointing Chariot

Back in the 20^th Century, Susan and I visited an exhibition of ancient Chinese engineering at a museum in Birmingham, England. One of the exhibits was a reproduction of the South Pointing Chariot. The chariot was a sort of mechanical compass, i.e. as the chariot moved along the ground, no matter which way it turned, the indicator on top always pointed south.

Some people believe that this device dates from BCE. There are no surviving examples of the machine from ancient times, but it is described in Chinese literature dating from the second century CE. Modern engineers have come up with different theories as to how it worked. A popular one is that it operated by means of differential gears and various examples (including the on display in Birmingham) have been made. This Blender model is based on plans published on the web site: http://www.odts.de/southptr/, which in turn were derived from the work of Mr. George H. Lanchester around 1932

#Chinese #South_pointing_Chariot #differential #gears #Blender #Cycles

Rusty Tub

I've been playing with the Mask Node from the Wayward Art Company. It's a good tool for applying grunge to a model.

The Maybach DRS

The Mercedes Benz Advanced Design Center in Japan submitted its concept of a modern rickshaw at the 2010 Los Angeles Auto Show Design Challenge, the Maybach DRS (Den Riki-Sha.) The car would be powered by electric motors and have a self-levelling system. The on-board computer system is plugged into the city’s transport infrastructure. It could accommodate a driver and two or three passengers.

#Merecedes-Benz #Maybach #rikshaw #Los_Angeles_Auto_Show Blender_2.8 #Cycles

MERCEDES F-CELL

In 2008 Mercedes-Benz assigned 150 apprentices the task of designing and building a concept car with a mandate to include references to the company’s history and the latest technology. The result, introduced to the public in April 2009, was the F-Cell Roadster. It pays homage to the first gasoline powered, purpose-designed car, the Benz Patented Motorwagen of 1886 with its exposed power plant, spoke wheels, leather and wood. There are also echoes of Formula One cars in the body shape and the front suspension. The vehicle is powered by a 1.2 kW hydrogen fuel cell and has a top speed of 25 kph and an operating range of 350 km. A joy-stick controls the steer-by-wire system.

This model was built in Blender 2.8 and rendered with Cycles. It’s the second time I’ve modeled

the F-Cell; the first was five years ago.

Mayflower Autonomous Ship (MAS)

To celebrate the 400^th anniversary of the Pilgrims’ journey from Plymouth, England, to Plymouth, Massachusetts, on the original Mayflower, the city decided to build the Mayflower Autonomous Ship and sail it from Plymouth to Plymouth in September, 2020. The project is being managed by a non-profit partnership of Promare (maritime research), Msubs (marine builders), Plymouth University, and IBM among others. The ship, which is being built in Poland, will be 15 meters long, weigh five tons and travel at 20 knots. It will be driven by a combination of solar and wind power with a diesel backup. The MAS will managed by sophisticated navigation and marine research facilities. For more information, visit: https://www.facebook.com/MARS400/

#Mayflower #autonomous #ship #Pilgrim #Plymouth #Blender #Cycles

DR-10 Controller

And here's the controller for the DR-10 posted yesterday.

Bomb Disposal Robot

The Dragon Runner is a small (about 50 cm long) bomb disposal robot used by both the British and American military. It is built by Qinetiq, a British company that also has operation in the USA. The model is made with Blender 2.8 and rendered in Cycles.

Note: I first modelled the Dragon Runner using SketchUp in 2013.

Lenoir Gas Engine

Note: I first made a model of the Lenoir gas engine a couple years ago In an earlier version of Blender.

Étienne Lenoir, a French citizen born in Belgium, was the inventor of the first commercially successful internal combustion engine. His machine was a steam engine adapted to drive the piston with burning coal-gas ignited by an electrical spark. It was about 2.5 meters long. He gained his patent in 1860, but came second to the Otto-Langen gas engine in the Paris Exhibition of 1867.

#Lenoir #gas #engine #Blender #Cycles

Electric Kettle

Just a simple project to learn my way around Blender 2.8.

Faster-than-Light-Starship

In 1994, Mexican physicist Miguel Alcubierre proposed a theoretical method for faster- than-light travel: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alcubierre_drive. The IXS Enterprise spaceship in NASA’s concept for implementing Alcubierre’s ideas. The ship was designed by NASA engineer Dr.Harold G. White. This model was inspired on Dr. White’s design. A Google seach for "NASA Starship" will offer a lot of information and images.

#Starship #NASA #Alcubierre #White #Blender_2.8 #Cycles

Multi-Purpose Precision Maintenance Tool

In 2015 Robert Hillan, a student from Alabama, won a competition sponsored by NASA and the American Society of Mechanical Engineers Foundation for a tool to be 3D printed on the Space Station and used by the astronauts for maintenance work. The tool had drives for sockets, various hex-wenches, a wire gauge, a wire stripper, pry bar and a measuring tool. The rectangular depression at the top-right was for a Velcro patch for easy storage and a round hole to hang the tool from a hook or clip.

Details of the project can be found at the NASA web site: https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/news/multipurpose_precision_maintenance_tool

#NASA #Space_Station #maintenance #tool #Blender #Cycles

English Barrister's Wig

The wigs worn by barristers in court in England and Wales are made from horse hair and cost form around £425 to as much as two or three thousand pounds.
Modeled in Blender, rendered with Cycles.

US Army M1 Helmet - Korean War

A few weeks ago Time Magazine carried a story about the return by North Korea of the remains of US soldiers missing during the Korean War. The remains were sent in 55 boxes, but the boxes also contained things other than bones. In one box was a US Army M1 helmet that looked something like this. Modeled in Blender and rendered with Cycles.

Lunar Roving Vehicles Wheel

The Lunar Roving Vehicles (LRV, often referred to as Lunar Rovers or Moon Buggies) were made for the Apollo 15, 16 and 17 missions. They were transported to the mood in the Lunar Module and unfolded on the surface. All three of them are still there.

Each of the LRV’s four wheels, designed and made by General Motors, was powered by an electric motor housed in the wheel hub. The LRV had four-wheel drive and four-wheel steering. The Wheel assembly consisted of a spun aluminum hub (81 cm in diameter), a steel mesh tire with titanium chevron treads and inside the tire was a circular bump stop frame to protect the hub.

Interestingly, the LRV Operating Handbook published by general contractor Boeing in 1971 is available on the internet as a PDF document.

#Lunar_Roving­_Vehicle #LRV #Rover #Apollo #Blender #Cycles