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What is the simplest way to do mechanical logic? Without all those fancy looking gears. I wonder how far it can go if you actually optimize it.



An interesting option is rod logic, which is the mechanical equivalent to a PLA (programmable logic array).

https://www.jamiekawabatarobotics.com/?p=40


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G_SC7oWL78A

The Whiffletree was used in mechanical calculators. It's an interesting way to encode digital data mechanically.


I have had an interest in building a mechanical computer for a long time. It has not ever gotten farther that some research into what route to take. There are lots and lots of simple logic mechanisms (many, many in use in real world applications). It can go as far and be as capable as you have time for.




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