Open Source Antikythera Mechanism | Hakkadai

When the Antikythera Mechanism was first discovered, it was not seen as the marvel we know today. Originally, the divers who found the device and the first scientists to look at it wrote it off as an astrolabe or some other type of common clock. It wasn’t until decades later when another group of scientists X-rayed the device and surveyed more shipwreck that it was found that it began to become one of the most significant archaeological discoveries in history. There have been many attempts to recreate this device, and This replica recreates the mechanics of the original But it has been modified so that it can be built in a modern workshop.

The design, which took the creators several years of research and development to complete, began with the familiar gear schematics found on the original machine. However, the group wanted to make it with modern technology including 3D printers and laser cutters, so even though they’ve worked from an understanding of the original 2,000-year-old machine, there are some upgrades and changes to accommodate those who want to build this in a workshop. Modern. Gears made of plastic instead of brass have more friction, which should be reduced by building custom bearings made of brass. And to complement the machine, a number of different style packs are also available for use.

Additionally, all of the designs and schematics for this build are open source for anyone to build or modify as they like, although the group that puts this together plans to sell various parts for this as well. There would be some issues with use, they point out, since the ancient Greeks didn’t have a complete enough understanding of cosmology for a machine like this to remain accurate for two millennia, but it’s a remarkable build nonetheless. Researchers are still finding new things about this device, too, including the recent discovery of the device’s earliest possible start date.