Are Technic sets getting less complex?

[Freekysch]

The gearbox of 8258 is indeed very good, but not as good as 8043s one.

[Brickthus]

Hi Mark.

I remember some years ago reading a detailed write-up by Kevin Clague that starts with a simple feedback loop, and progresses through a mathematical notation to developing complex pneumatic sequences. Kevin's website is no longer online, but I was able to find a copy on the Wayback Machine here http://web.archive.o...encer/index.htm, though without the very useful pictures.

Do you know of a similar resource available now?

Owen.

Hispabrick magazine covered this in two articles (Hispabrick no 13 & 14 if I am not mistaken)

Thanks for the link Jeroen.

Owen, some similar pictures are in my Brickshelf folders here and here

Kevin and I both worked on pneumatic logic at the same time, using slightly different systems. My system had each logic gate cater for both hoses by default, like the OR/AND gate a few posts ago. Kevin's system usually passed on a single pressurised hose so that he could put many robot walker legs in series with the fewest valve switches; this uses 3 switches for one nozzle in an OR/AND gate and 1 for the other. I also used the single-pressurised-hose system in my Octopus Arm. I had initially drawn the OR/AND gate for that system in June 1999 (as a bitmap on my old Windows 95 computer!) but the Octopus Arm was the first of my projects that needed to use the system. My earlier pick-and-place robot (1996) suited the 2-hose system and incorporated a 2-hose exclusive-OR gate.

We found that the technological concepts of LEGO Pneumatics developed faster with competition, much like patent races in other fields! This progressed as far as mid-stop pneumatics. Then I made the closed loop control servos so that a pneumatic cylinder can stop anywhere. It is great now to be able to help all of you to learn these systems, which begin where set 8868 took us in 1991 and go far beyond the scope of technical content in sets. Perhaps you will also be able to advance the state-of-the-art in LEGO Pneumatics technology!

Mark

[Captainowie]

This progressed as far as mid-stop pneumatics. Then I made the closed loop control servos so that a pneumatic cylinder can stop anywhere.

I recall reading your post/s on LUGNET with interest, and spent ages trying to figure out how that worked.

Perhaps you will also be able to advance the state-of-the-art in LEGO Pneumatics technology!

Ha! Not likely, given the amount of time my cylinders and switches seem to spend in the bottom of my parts drawer. Too many other problems to solve!