Automatic Zuse Logic Gates

After having built the logic gates and the finite state machine using Konrad Zuse's ideas for mechanical gates, the next logical step is to automate them, so that they do not need manual operation (in my previous versions, the "clock" slider had to be manually pushed, and then the "output" slider had to be manually reset, which is fine for a logic gate, but in the finite state machine was quite tedious and error-prone). Here's my first step in that direction, an automatic or logic gate:

It basically consists of the same or logic gate I built before, wrapped around a mechanism that operates the clock and resets the output automatically by just rotating a gear (the black large gear in the left of the picture above). Each complete revolution of the gear is a complete cycle of the logic gate.

I think the easiest way to see how it works is by seeing it in action in a video:

This is what the video shows:

- The logic gate consists of 4 moving parts:

- Two manually operated small sliders in the center, representing the two "inputs" of the logic gate

- The "clock", which is the long slider in the left hand side

- The "output", which is the long slider in the right hand side

- When the gate is reset, both the "clock", and the "output" are set fo "0" (they are at the left-most position in the video)

- When the gate is reset, the inputs can be manipulated. Then, by turning the wheel 180 degrees, the gate produces the output (by moving the "output" slider to the right position). By turning the wheel an additional 180 degrees (to make a complete revolution), the gate rests itself.

- In the video, I show 4 operations:

- At time 0:04 I set both inputs at 0, and the gate produces the output 0

- At time 0.08 I set one input to 1 and the other to 0, and the gate produces the output 1

- At time 0:14 I set the first input to 0 and the other to 1, and the gate produces the output 1

- At time 0:21 I set both inputs to 1, and the gate produces the output 1

Here're a few more pictures that show how the mechanism works:

Well, and now that I have that working, the next step is to make the finite state machine be automatic! That should be interesting!