Revisiting Greek Automata: Clockwork Robots from the Ancient World

In this video, we revisit my modern take on Hero's automaton and talk about the automata-making tradition in antiquity.
Dr. Grillos Edition of Hero's Automata: theses.gla.ac.uk/76774/7/2019...
My earlier video on automata: • Reconstructing 'Hero's...
Click Spring's Antikythera mechanism video: • The Antikythera Mechan...
My context on Architekton, quotes from Pappus of Alexandria, and of Philo's funding by the Ptolomies comes from 'Greek Science After Aristotle' by G.E.R Lloyd, especially its chapter "Applied Mechanics and Technology" though this book also contains a chapter on Ptolomy and ancient astronomy
I got information about water clocks and the work of Philo of Byzantium from 'The Handbook of Ancient Water Technology' provided by Archive.org, this contains a section entitled 'Theoretical Hydraulics, Automata, and Water Clocks' written by Michael Lewis: archive.org/details/handbooko...
a digital copy of Cicero's Dialogue 'De Re Publica' which contains the account of Archimedes' Sphere www.gutenberg.org/files/54161...

[@juanjuri6127]

congratulations on successfully exorcizing the ghost of Hero of Alexandria haunting you for making poor reproductions of his work, now you just gotta deal with the ghost of Hero of Alexandria haunting you for calling his skinny guy slow

[@ValTheVillain]

I do love that the greeks really just built tons of doohickies and thingamabobs

[@TheIntermont]

Before long you will have automata helping you in your shop and patrolling the property like Hephaestus himself. Make sure to offer him a libation. Also if your base were wider I think your device would be much more stable.

[@MiguelAraujo2501]

funnily enough, this reminded me of the Dwemer. Complex automata, little to no explanation on how they’re made

[@WantedVisual]

I love how in the previous video, you mentioned Vitruvius didn't think automata were serious enough to translate and pass on, then this video starts with basically describing most automata as dancing and singing statues. I've now got this vision of some very serious and lauded engineer presenting their translation of a very technical text on accurate timekeeping, having someone admit their favorite part was learning how the dolls in Disneyland's "It's a Small World" ride work, and the engineer just angrily striking that part of the text from future editions so people will learn about the point they were trying to make XD

[@monkqp]

I am struggling to understand how this video has so little views. Really cool concept and execution!

[@Dangineering]

These videos continue to be not just extremely interesting but somehow double as my therapy?

[@dnkal2875]

If you ever go to Athens you should visit the museum of ancient Greek technology it has things like that, I think you would like it

[@yamlynn]

"though we may risk breaking the sound barrier "

[@adog3129]

knowing that people were making stuff like this almost 3000 years ago is so inspirational as someone with modern technology. it's like, if you can do this with wood, imagine what i can do with a 3d printer. it's also really relaxing and satisfying to watch the woodworking. this is one of the best youtube channels i've found

[@polifemo3967]

ok, so the lead weight is the power: as it falls it pulls the ropes that move the wheels. The seeds, and the hourglass, are the timing mechanism. The lead rests on top of the seeds, and it falls as fast as the seeds fall down. You control the speed of the automaton by controlling the speed of the lead, which is limited to the timing of the hourglass.

[@snubig1698]

Ever since the first automaton video i was really hoping that you would make another, and i can surely say that this did not dissapoint.

[@mattl3729]

This is SO COOL. I've watched Chris from Clickspring's Antikythera Mechanism videos from the start, and it's amazing, but this is something that MOVES and is made from bits of wood and some copper. You need some serious expertise to make the AM, but you showed that with just some little woodworking skill, you can make a 2000-year-old ROBOT. I definitely agree the slower speed looks more 'alive'- tentative, deliberate and just the way something unfamiliar with its environment might move.

[@zaflowgalactic]

Please pass the butter. Splendid! Now turn 180 degrees and return butter. Marvelous!

[@ClarkKentai]

I think the part that amazes me most is the way code is physically manifested by those pegs on the axles. It basically operates on two trinary bits of data.

[@alliswell-pb9vo]

An advice on sanding some areas:

[@Lord_Shmesh_The_Squishy]

Fraser, I have spent the last 5 and a half hours binge watching your content. I absolutely love you and everything you have created. You have renewed my interest in ancient history, alchemy and automations. Thank you. <3

[@trikepilot101]

Watching this too late at night to think of something clever to say. Nicely done.

[@madbradfreeman]

I was on tenterhooks worrying about the sound barrier issue! Glad you squeaked by.

[@MikelNaUsaCom]

I'm pretty sure that using a 3d printer, or adding fur with a sew machine would fine with any ghosts hanging around, as they didn't seem to mind the camera or recording / editing software. What is the future direction? brick works? ceramics, or other materials? This covers the earth element, gravity and friction, what about air, water, or fire next? pneumatics, perhaps? In my youth, I worked on pneumatic computers that controlled propulsion boilers using force balancing to make their analog calculations, in our navy rating badges, hero's boiler was right there front and center. =D Happy Monday!