PAPAC-00, a Do-It-Yourself Paper Computer (1958)

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90 points·ColinWright··12 comments

There's also the CARDIAC CARDboard Illustrative Aid to Computation, which simulates the control logic of a simple computer, giving the operator step-by-step instructions for how to proceed.

In these modern times, it's more fun to program a virtual machine. The Dietel and Dietel "Java: How to program, 5th ed" had a project for the Simpletron computer simulator, which young me enjoyed. The projects around Simpletron included an assembler and later a compiler for a BASIC-like language.

And now I know what I'll do with my 3d printer once I get my home computer operating again. Anyone know of other similar [EDIT: mechanical] computer designs? The only other one I can recall immediately is a marble adding machine [0].

[0] http://woodgears.ca/marbleadd/

EDIT: My google search results improved when I stopped searching for physical computer and instead searched for mechanical computer.

A hand-cranked computer that uses punch cards (also mostly 3D-printed): http://www.chrisfenton.com/the-turbo-entabulator/

E.S.R., Inc.[1], made a few, such as Digicomps I and II, and Dr. Nim.

A sliding-plate computer is the Z1[2].

[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/E.S.R.,_Inc. [2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Z1_(computer)

The Turing Tumble looks like a fun computer emulator toy:

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/871405126/turing-tumble...

Mechanical Computers for Computer Engineers: https://calculating.wordpress.com/2011/11/23/calculators-for...

The FIBIAC: http://www.chrisfenton.com/the-fibiac/

The Calculating Machines of Sir Samuel Morland: http://history-computer.com/MechanicalCalculators/Pioneers/M...

You can print a Curta calculator, which I suppose is a sort of computer. https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:1943171

There are domino adders: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lNuPy-r1GuQ

Sadly not very repeatable :-)

[1958]

well one could say [anytime] since paper has been there and still is. :)

Publish date of the document.

I'm not that stupid you know.

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