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Psycho was the name of an 1800s automaton made by magician John Nevil Maskelyne and John Algernon Clarke, designed as an Indian Magi. It would pick one of 13 playing cards placed in front of it. For me, the most interesting part is that the arm lifting mechanism works with a single thread! One action moves the wrist, then the elbow, and then the arm. In turn. |
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| It does this by relying on each part have a limit of travel. When the wrist, for example, it gets to its maximum extent it's easier for the string to move the elbow than it is to push the solid wrist through the solid wrist stop! |
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My LEGO model follows the same design at the book, "Exclusive Magical Secrets". While it is reasonably strong, it is very temperamental - any deviation from the exact sizes, angles, and band elasticity prevent it from working. |
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Marquis de Geek
