Music Box Study No. 5

Check out this amazing study of the larger DIY paper-punch music box by Ben Gerstein. Not only is the piece impressive, but it looks like quite a workout!

From the YouTube description:

Music I punched for the Teanola paper strip music box, identical to the Kikkerland model used in Studies I-IV but twice the size. The mechanism covers 20 notes of the C major scale.

[ Thanks Ben! ]

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LEGO Mindstorms Robotics Invention System 2.0

LEGOs aren't just plastic blocks anymore! Now you can design, construct, and program real robots. The Robotic Invention System lets you build three robots out of the box: a Candy Sorter, a Robotic Arm, or a drawing Artbot.

When you start building your own creations, you can attach sensors, motors, and gears to the RCX microcomputer. You then use your PC and the LEGO MINDSTORMS CD-ROM to program your robot. The possibilities are almost endless here.

Here's where you can learn more about LEGO Mindstorms Robotics Invention System 2.0 - Robotics.

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Automatic Accordion - Hohner Magic Organa

Check out this German-made automatic accordion by Hohner.

A spring-wound mechanism inside the instrument moves a paper roll over tubes connected to the accordion's 44 notes. A foot pump bellows connected via a hose to the accordion provides the air needed to for the instrument to sound its notes.

It's bit like a player-piano/organ strapped to your chest. I had no idea such things existed. Amazing. This one comes with 7 different programmed paper rolls.

Here is the eBay listing with more photographs of the automatic accordion called the Hohner Magic Organa

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WowWee's FemiSapien Humanoid Robot

Femisapien is WowWee's latetst humanoid robot. Femisapien has 3 functional modes that may be engaged by tilting the robot's head in one of three a specific positions:

Attentive Mode: Femisapien interacts directly with the user.

Learning Mode: allows you to program Femisapien to do a sequence of movements up to 80 steps long.

Responsive Mode: The robot's main autonomous walking mode. Femisapien can interact with sounds, detect objects, and stop when something is in her path.

Learn more about all of the capacities of the FemiSapien Humanoid Robot by WowWee Toys.

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