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