(1/4) Intro/History: Introducing a 100-year-old mechanical computer

Ғылым және технология

► Learn more at: www.engineerguy.com/fourier
► Buy the book on Amazon: www.amazon.com/gp/product/0983...
► Buy the posters on Zazzle: www.zazzle.com/engineerguy
► Main videos in the series:
(2/4) Synthesis: • (2/4) Synthesis: A mac...
(3/4) Analysis: • (3/4) Analysis: Explai...
(4/4) Operation: • (4/4) Operation: The d...
► Bonus videos:
Books and Posters: • Video
Page-by-Page: • Page-by-Page Guide to ...
Spinning Machine: • Bonus: Watch the machi...
Rocker Arms: • Bonus: Rocker arms: si...
This introduction to the series Albert Michelson’s Harmonic Analyzer celebrates a nineteenth century mechanical computer that performed Fourier analysis by using gears, springs and levers to calculate with sines and cosines-an astonishing feat in an age before electronic computers. Check out the series companion book and learn how to get a free PDF of the entire book at www.engineerguy.com/fourier.

Пікірлер: 192

  • @xisumavoid
    @xisumavoid9 жыл бұрын

    Nice to see a video from you again. These topics are fascinating :-)

  • @Earlzo2325

    @Earlzo2325

    5 жыл бұрын

    I used to watch your minecraft videos, small world.

  • @ravensquote7206

    @ravensquote7206

    3 жыл бұрын

    Callum Earle Earth never updated to Infdev.

  • @zes3813

    @zes3813

    3 жыл бұрын

    wr

  • @ratanaksovichea3693

    @ratanaksovichea3693

    3 жыл бұрын

    Xisumavoid used to watch video 6 year ago

  • @I_am_looking_for_GF

    @I_am_looking_for_GF

    Жыл бұрын

    Never thought i would see Xisuma here

  • @Tyrog
    @Tyrog9 жыл бұрын

    I've had to perform some FFT with Matlab during my PhD... I had NO IDEA this could be done with a mechanical machine... My mind is blown. I can't wait to see how it operates.

  • @augustosj
    @augustosj9 жыл бұрын

    this guy has the ability to make any subject interesting with his soothing voice and well prepared stories :)

  • @zes3813

    @zes3813

    3 жыл бұрын

    wrr

  • @spelunkerd
    @spelunkerd9 жыл бұрын

    I was surprised to learn that trigonometry (with cosines etc) was an integral part of education for the upper classes in the 1800's. I find it humbling to realize how smart those engineers of the past were.

  • @secdeal

    @secdeal

    9 жыл бұрын

    I'm pretty sure trigonometry was an integral part of education even 2000 years ago, at least for architects.

  • @secdeal

    @secdeal

    9 жыл бұрын

    en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_trigonometry#Greek_mathematics

  • @eduardofreitas8336

    @eduardofreitas8336

    7 жыл бұрын

    Well but it still is

  • @PetraKann

    @PetraKann

    5 жыл бұрын

    Why are you surprised? Education was basically the privilege of the elite, wealthy and Ruling classes. So was music for that matter. The further back you go, the more pronounced this exclusivity becomes. Isaac Newton for example, was by no means working class.

  • @JessicaRules

    @JessicaRules

    3 ай бұрын

    Newton was a theoretician not an inventer​@@PetraKann

  • @meanjean214
    @meanjean2149 жыл бұрын

    As a fellow chemical engineer, and clock repair hobbyist, this video makes me want to cry. The beauty of the engineering of this machine and the immense amount of work put towards finding an answer to a problem is just staggering. Also, these videos are put together beautifully. Well done Bill and to your team as well!

  • @mrwhite8420
    @mrwhite84209 жыл бұрын

    I am so excited about this! Thank you, Bill and everyone else who is working on this channel for uploading such great videos.

  • @its_generik
    @its_generik9 жыл бұрын

    It's so good to have you back!!! Looking forward to all your future videos

  • @o0dhew0o
    @o0dhew0o9 жыл бұрын

    These videos, both the information/delivery and editing, were fantastic, great work Bill!

  • @MarkBlease
    @MarkBlease8 жыл бұрын

    just finished the whole series on this amazing machine. The presentation and explanations are fantastic

  • @edfoster792
    @edfoster7929 жыл бұрын

    Thank you for these videos. Once you're out of school and have to work it can be daunting to keep studying, and with no background in science and engineering I doubt I would ever understand something like this without these kinds of videos. I appreciate how ernest and straight forward they are, and I appreciate that I don't feel like I'm being talked down to.

  • @ChrisMuncy
    @ChrisMuncy9 жыл бұрын

    Thanks for sharing Bill. Can't wait to watch the rest of the videos.

  • @Salafrance
    @Salafrance9 жыл бұрын

    This is amazing - I knew about Michelson from the Michelson-Morley Experiment, but I had not previously heard of his contribution to the early efforts to build computing devices.

  • @jcims
    @jcims9 жыл бұрын

    Wow! This is amazing, I can't wait to see the rest of this series. As someone who has barely scratched the surface of digital signal processing, seeing something like this realized mechanically is a bit of a marvel. Now we've got chips the size of a pencil eraser that can decompose signals into thousands or even millions of sinusoids (bins) in the blink of an eye.

  • @KandiKlover
    @KandiKlover6 жыл бұрын

    Thank you so much for this. I've always loved mechanical and early transistor computers. Huge contribution to the computer history here from you and monumental to see this machine come alive after so long.

  • @sakadabara
    @sakadabara8 жыл бұрын

    The cochlea from the inner ear represents a real time (lag free) mechanical Fourier analyser!

  • @yeswanthbabud2622
    @yeswanthbabud26222 жыл бұрын

    Respected sir, Thank you so much for your effort in restoring this mechanical computer back to life. It helped me understand the complex Fourier series in my college easily. I can't find words to express my joy.

  • @swsephy
    @swsephy9 жыл бұрын

    I am looking forward to this. Also glad to see some more content here!

  • @photolabguy
    @photolabguy9 жыл бұрын

    I do enjoy all of your videos. I have been a subscriber for many years, but I miss the wittiness and charm of the old videos. I enjoy when you get lighthearted and funny. I will always look forward to new videos!

  • @vanmaren962
    @vanmaren9629 жыл бұрын

    The quality of your videos is always astounding. I always get excited when I see your face in my sub-feed!

  • @PilotPlater
    @PilotPlater9 жыл бұрын

    Looks like an incredible machine, and a very interesting series! looking forward to it.

  • @MISTER__OWL
    @MISTER__OWL9 ай бұрын

    Thanks again for your continued educational videos.. So many things you have taught me.

  • @katharinahaffner8343
    @katharinahaffner83438 жыл бұрын

    i am so amazed right now! thank you for this video series!

  • @infiltrator7777
    @infiltrator77779 жыл бұрын

    Oh this is wonderful! Looking forward to the other videos!

  • @dnb303
    @dnb3039 жыл бұрын

    This is a brilliant device, and your narration is impeccable. I spent a lot of time in the same building as that thing and had no idea it existed! It would make a great field trip for ECE210 to walk over and see it, even if it is behind glass. It's very rare to see tangible representations of abstract math processes like this. Most analog machines for computation are antiquated or out of sight, which makes seeing them extra surprising. They demonstrate concepts in a way that can increase and diversify one's field of understanding. Your videos are excellent. Thank you!

  • @cgariie
    @cgariie8 жыл бұрын

    Congrats for your videos! they are impressive and inspiring at the same time! I use them to show the amazing components of technology to my 10 years old son! Please continue surprising us!!!

  • @mickbrenton
    @mickbrenton9 жыл бұрын

    Awesome!! Looking forward to the series!!!

  • @TheDrB0B
    @TheDrB0B7 жыл бұрын

    Wow I would just be amazed to have something so inspiring as this at my university. U of I really has some amazing stuff (and professors too!!). Thanks Bill for making these fantastic and inspirational videos that are at everyone's reach. Truly remarkable work.

  • @HiAdrian
    @HiAdrian9 жыл бұрын

    Tight tight yeah! I can't wait to watch these detailed clips.

  • @kithsakhai
    @kithsakhai9 жыл бұрын

    this is co cool! we use Fourier analysis and Fourier transformations in the chemistry lab literally every day, can't do anything without it really.

  • @xjohnson42
    @xjohnson429 жыл бұрын

    Glad to see you back on youtube!

  • @Electromech
    @Electromech9 жыл бұрын

    Oooooh, I'm looking forward to seeing the rest of this!

  • @aborne
    @aborne7 жыл бұрын

    Well done series! Very clear instruction. You have a great voice too.

  • @oisiaa
    @oisiaa9 жыл бұрын

    Wow! Can't wait for this mini-series!

  • @powertube5671
    @powertube56715 жыл бұрын

    My first computer program of any significance was one that added up the sin wave harmonics with coefficients to plot out the resulting square wave in asterisks on a TI thermal printing terminal. That was in 1975. I learned Fourier analysis in 1968 in college and have been fascinated with it ever since. My ham radio transceiver is an SDR that does repeated FFTs to show me the spectrum of the band. I have yet to grasp how FFTs work. It's always fascinating to see this topic presented in as many ways as possible to continue to strengthen my understanding. Thanks for these lessons!

  • @Zerepzerreitug
    @Zerepzerreitug9 жыл бұрын

    I'm geeking out over these videos :D I love the clock-punk of these old, bronze-filled gadgets. Thank you for taking us into a journey of geek-level detail to how these marvels work.

  • @thomasalexander1563
    @thomasalexander15636 жыл бұрын

    This channel is really educative,, Never see other channel done this before

  • @lapisdust
    @lapisdust7 жыл бұрын

    Fascinating, actually a good machine to teach Fourier transforms! I understand that Lord Kelvin built something similar in the day, using side-slipping wheels on rotating discs to do the integrations, to analyze tidal patterns.

  • @onesimpleclik
    @onesimpleclik9 жыл бұрын

    thankyou for this series +engineerguy so fascinating!

  • @angelkennethtolentino8261
    @angelkennethtolentino82617 жыл бұрын

    This is so professional and entertaining! I appreciate so much that this channel has shown. Every video is so informative. In example, there is this video about "How how does a cellphone tell up/down" and i was "meeh skip that, not interested" but then eventually i watch and i was *mind blown*.The very specific science in them is well phase that any Joe (like me) can grasp. And if i don't understand i am very motivated to repeat the previous seconds to understand them Maths. Thank you fine Sir!

  • @JoshuaCasper
    @JoshuaCasper9 жыл бұрын

    Looking forward to these!

  • @NiTheGod
    @NiTheGod9 жыл бұрын

    more stuff to look forward to

  • @TonyBullard
    @TonyBullard9 жыл бұрын

    I love this channel so much.

  • @geeinfnt
    @geeinfnt9 жыл бұрын

    i hope its going to be an amazing journey mr engineerguy

  • @AllenJeter20
    @AllenJeter209 жыл бұрын

    Great video series loved it

  • @atmloginvideos
    @atmloginvideos2 жыл бұрын

    It is impressive and at the same time frightening that such a brilliant machine is so little mentioned in analysis books in higher education courses. I saw a reference only in a book by Lathi, I don't remember seeing any of this before. The machine is something sensational, a triumph of human ingenuity, a particularly striking symbol of a generation of hands-on scientists who, with virtually no technology at their disposal, yet built instruments of such sensitivity that they "forged" modern physics and led to our understanding of the world to new heights. Congratulations to the channel for all the videos, content of great value and very careful editing, the video is a masterpiece that does justice to the beauty and precision of the described mechanism.

  • @clockwise3559
    @clockwise35599 жыл бұрын

    This looks so awesome

  • @nikolaosvitoroulis7630
    @nikolaosvitoroulis76304 жыл бұрын

    This 4 video series has warmed my soul.

  • @engineerguyvideo

    @engineerguyvideo

    4 жыл бұрын

    You must have a mathematical soul!

  • @azntranc3951
    @azntranc39519 жыл бұрын

    Can't wait for the three other parts!

  • @AccessControlForum
    @AccessControlForum9 жыл бұрын

    This is so freak'n cool. Thank you so much for doing this video. Never knew this machine existed. Excellent quality and excellent content. Thumbs up everybody! Do it!

  • @MH-HackOfAllTrades
    @MH-HackOfAllTrades9 жыл бұрын

    Simply fascinating! The sophistication of 19th century mechanical devices is mind boggling.

  • @alanaguirre17
    @alanaguirre179 жыл бұрын

    I am so glad you're back to making videos. you give me more reasons in pursuing my career as an engineer.

  • @kotai2003
    @kotai20039 жыл бұрын

    wow. engineeringuy is the most astonishing channel which I have been experienced in youtube.

  • @EddieVBlueIsland
    @EddieVBlueIsland9 жыл бұрын

    Nicely done-Thank You.

  • @phooesnax
    @phooesnax9 жыл бұрын

    WOW. Thank you for bringing us along

  • @alannishioka
    @alannishioka9 жыл бұрын

    In 2008 I took a couple pictures of a similar machine at the Franklin Institute in Philadelphia. It appears to have about 100 rocker arms and a series of pulleys for summing the outputs. It is fascinating to learn how it works and was used. The exhibit had no explanation at all.

  • @TheMattgician
    @TheMattgician9 жыл бұрын

    I can't wait, this is amazing!

  • @Biznatchio69
    @Biznatchio699 жыл бұрын

    I know you make very few videos, but I wanted to let you know that they are all really great when you make them.

  • @KaBoomChannel
    @KaBoomChannel9 жыл бұрын

    Man I wish I could subscribe to your channel a million times, your show is fantastic!!!

  • @Bluenoser613
    @Bluenoser6139 жыл бұрын

    Love your videos

  • @codingSoundDesign
    @codingSoundDesign9 жыл бұрын

    Great video!

  • @lindagiovannazambanini6218
    @lindagiovannazambanini621810 ай бұрын

    Fascinating!

  • @AV1461
    @AV14619 жыл бұрын

    Thank you so much. This will be so good!!

  • @DrPotatoSalad
    @DrPotatoSalad9 жыл бұрын

    Very neat, I've never seen this in Altgeld. I'll have to go look around for it.

  • @Lerkero
    @Lerkero9 жыл бұрын

    I thought you went on hiatus again. I look forward to seeing this series of videos.

  • @engineerguyvideo

    @engineerguyvideo

    9 жыл бұрын

    I have never been on hiatus since I started the youtube channel. It just takes a long time to make them.

  • @theultimatereductionist7592

    @theultimatereductionist7592

    8 жыл бұрын

    +engineerguy My mind is blown that Michelson could even dream this would ever physically work. How? I mean, just, HOW? My best friend took her first course ever in welding and very basic machine-tooling at the age of 61 last year and she is desperate to continue building on the little bit of practical hands-on experience she got out of the course, whether on-the-job or some kind of paid training.

  • @fufdbuhy44
    @fufdbuhy449 жыл бұрын

    Hi Engineering guy, can you make a video about drilling machines/ equipment and the advances of the oil and gas industry. Would like to see it explained by you!

  • @RothMobot
    @RothMobot9 жыл бұрын

    YES! Oh man.... to apply such a device to audio!

  • @henriettanwoke9746
    @henriettanwoke97463 жыл бұрын

    HE IS SITTING ON ONE SPOT but it feels like he is everywhere right now you are awesome

  • @Not-TheOne
    @Not-TheOne8 жыл бұрын

    I have to say, I sometimes look at people around me, and honestly wonder how we have me it so far. Heard someone say, we are circling the drain. However true or pessimistic that might be, I find strength and faith in people like Albert Michelson. Not for the singular great thing they have given us, but that there are those amongst us that do things that looks like magic to us, but in reality move us as humans forward. They are almost always forgotten for what they did and companies using what they invented to reap in money and glory. These unsung hero's, (imho) fascinates me. I love the work you, Bill and the team does. Besides the above, I love my mind working and following what you show us.

  • @ZilogBob

    @ZilogBob

    7 жыл бұрын

    My thoughts exactly. How many people have heard of Alan Turing, Frank Whittle, Jack Kilby or Shockley, Bardeen and Brattain? They all changed the world but the average person only knows about movie stars. :-(

  • @kiowablue2862

    @kiowablue2862

    7 жыл бұрын

    Or Reginald Fessenden, Ernst Alexanderson, Paul Nipkow, Edwin Armstrong and John Fleming.

  • @Avaryes
    @Avaryes9 жыл бұрын

    Fascinating

  • @norxcontacts
    @norxcontacts9 жыл бұрын

    Wow! Truly fascinating piece of machinery. I wish they would've taught this stuff in school.

  • @R3BootYourMind
    @R3BootYourMind5 жыл бұрын

    I would like to see a video about the function of the Curta Calculator from you.

  • @Elitekross
    @Elitekross7 жыл бұрын

    i went to uiuc, and this thing was in the altgeld hallway. i always wanted to see it in action!

  • @promptlyjoebrown4305
    @promptlyjoebrown43053 жыл бұрын

    Well now I'm disappointed that my calc class isn't in person this semester, I wonder if that thing is still on display in Altgeld. I've probably passed it dozens of times.

  • @ImDoneKilling
    @ImDoneKilling9 жыл бұрын

    I feel as if I am the only 14 year old who enjoys your videos, I could sit here for hours watching them

  • @MarcioT
    @MarcioT9 жыл бұрын

    Has anyone made any efforts towards using 3D printing to make a working harmonic analyzer? I was wanting to 3D print a working mechanical clock, but this might be an even more interesting project.

  • @MultiSciGeek
    @MultiSciGeek8 жыл бұрын

    100 years later we have computers which can do this much mire easier and precisely. Very interesting channel

  • @francescocatalano5855
    @francescocatalano585510 ай бұрын

    Wonderful

  • @user-gn1bc8lc7d
    @user-gn1bc8lc7d9 жыл бұрын

    amazing math and mechanical

  • @TheShoeCheese
    @TheShoeCheese9 жыл бұрын

    yay new video!!

  • @jeyendeoso
    @jeyendeoso9 жыл бұрын

    can it run crysis?

  • @twerktospec

    @twerktospec

    11 ай бұрын

    Did anyone ever find out?

  • @nodrance

    @nodrance

    11 ай бұрын

    ​@@twerktospec if you have enough paper and time then yes. But I mean you'd need to write down all 30,000,000,000 bytes of ram and perform the calculations yourself.

  • @snaprollinpitts
    @snaprollinpitts9 жыл бұрын

    what incredible contraption

  • @rizkyp
    @rizkyp9 жыл бұрын

    Cant wait

  • @JM-co6rf
    @JM-co6rf7 жыл бұрын

    AWESOME!!!

  • @AbstractCatsMedia
    @AbstractCatsMedia7 жыл бұрын

    Just , wow!

  • @jean-ericcampagne44
    @jean-ericcampagne443 жыл бұрын

    Hi! Wonderful videos. My son is working on Gibbs phenomenon and of course the Michelson Fourier Analyser was at the origin of the story. Have you by chance a video sequence showing it with the machine? Thanks.

  • @engineerguyvideo

    @engineerguyvideo

    3 жыл бұрын

    Alas, the Gibbs phenomenon was never seen on the machine; the Michelson machine was not the origin. The Wikipedia page on the Gibbs Phenomenon has the correct story. (I assume you that this could not be seen on the machine we demonstrated in the video!)

  • @jean-ericcampagne44

    @jean-ericcampagne44

    3 жыл бұрын

    @@engineerguyvideo Ho! my God. in fact the French Wikipedia is not correct so but I have also read a thesis on Gibbs phenomenon in Wavelet decomposition mentionning the Michleson machine... I just read the english version and I anderstand your point. Thanks a lot.

  • @engineerguyvideo

    @engineerguyvideo

    3 жыл бұрын

    When we started working with the machine all three of us knew of this legend and were stunned to learn it wasn’t true!

  • @jean-ericcampagne44

    @jean-ericcampagne44

    3 жыл бұрын

    @@engineerguyvideo Ho I can imagine for sure. Now, let us think of the precision required: the Gibbs oscillation is of the order of 1/10th of cm =1mm for a 1cm set fonction so the pencil precison should be better of course but which can be manageable nowadays no?

  • @jeffbrubaker1748
    @jeffbrubaker17487 жыл бұрын

    would make a cool kit to order

  • @MikeHughesShooter
    @MikeHughesShooter3 жыл бұрын

    thank you!

  • @AlbbiMe
    @AlbbiMe9 жыл бұрын

    In university I learned about FFT, but from a parallel computing perspective and never really learned the history or uses for it. I'm really interested to see the rest of the videos! (Also Bill, can you record some audio books? I love your voice!)

  • @engineerguyvideo

    @engineerguyvideo

    9 жыл бұрын

    One of the books coming out in 2016 (I think!) will have an audio book. I am doing page-by-page commentary for the companion book to this harmonic analyzer ... that'll be out I think on Thursday ....

  • @heheheheheeho
    @heheheheheeho9 жыл бұрын

    I did FFT with audio-files to create some audio-visualizations in c#. Did not think this could be done mechanically

  • @oisiaa
    @oisiaa9 жыл бұрын

    I hope the other videos are like 15-20 minutes long each!

  • @Mo6eB
    @Mo6eB9 жыл бұрын

    > he did fourier analysis by hand > and then built a machine to do it Mad respect, yo. I've probably never meant it more than now.

  • @parautenbach
    @parautenbach9 жыл бұрын

    This is a magnificent piece of mechanical engineering. What would be fantastic to see is somebody attempting to reconstruct this with LEGO. Performing a quick Google search didn't yield anything yet.

  • @Spoif
    @Spoif9 жыл бұрын

    ***** I'm looking forward to these videos and hope it will help me better understand FFT. Thanks.

  • @Smidge204
    @Smidge2049 жыл бұрын

    I might have a new long-term project for my 3D printing hobby...

  • @ericmoses8281
    @ericmoses82816 жыл бұрын

    But seriously, who is down voting this guy? What could you possibly find in engineering videos to down vote? Maybe hypocritical luddites reluctantly using the internet?

  • @ct92404

    @ct92404

    5 жыл бұрын

    Probably air-headed Millennials who think it's "boring." They have the attention span of a gnat and think they're still little kids when they're 25.

  • @patemblen3644

    @patemblen3644

    5 жыл бұрын

    It didn't blow up at the end ;-)

  • @Tamonduando

    @Tamonduando

    4 жыл бұрын

    Sometimes people make mistakes. The buttons are kinda tiny.

  • @Nhatanh0475

    @Nhatanh0475

    4 жыл бұрын

    @@Tamonduando Then why don't they fix it hah?

  • @ircimager
    @ircimager9 жыл бұрын

    always nice to see where our modern existence is from

  • @cmillerg6306
    @cmillerg63065 жыл бұрын

    Has anyone a demo of the henrici analyzer?

  • @mplites7160
    @mplites71605 жыл бұрын

    Pls do how granade works..

  • @JohnMassiass
    @JohnMassiass9 жыл бұрын

    I'm amazed with the genius thinking of people from the past without computer aided programming, I think they were more skillful than today's...

  • @Rollyn01
    @Rollyn019 жыл бұрын

    It’s machines like this that makes me wonder, are we just really rediscovering or reinventing things that have already existed in a different form? That and how steam-punk may not have been that far off from how it could have been. I can totally see this running on steam. As for the book, the equations Michelson used in designing the machine looks suspiciously close to the equations used for addition and subtraction when applied to a slide rule. If true, does that mean log approximations are possible? Hell, Fourier’s work is based on Taylor series expansion with allow for polynomial approximation of a function, so surly it’s possible right?

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