Help me create something wierd and whacky!!

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Sammas

Well-known member
Joined
Sep 30, 2004
Messages
547
Location
Sydney, Australia.
Hi there! I'm a composition student with a very bizarre idea that i would like to materialise into a working gizmo.

An element of study this year is graphical scores (thinking writing music with anything other than traditional notation).

Now the mechanical and electronic aspect of this device is as follows,

I need a way to activate a motor for a certain period of time from a remote momentary switch (like a footswitch). The motor will only be a small low speed jobby but hopefully i can find one with relatively high torque.

The idea is that the footswitch is tapped and the motor turns on for a short period of time, say 3 seconds. Now the idea is that the amount of time to footswitch is pressed is irrelevent to how long the motor operates. The motor will always operate for 3 seconds.

3 seconds is just an example. I can work around anytime really just as long as its not overly long and really short. So i guess i need some type of relay system that activates some kind of time control circuit?

Any ideas?



For those who are interested, my idea is to create a self generating score/notation. It will include 5 reels (imagine smaller, yet wider reel to reels) lined up parallel to each other, each with a loop of notation around them (it'll be a combination of traditional and very weird notations). Over the top will be 3 transparent staves for reference. The reels will run under them, when the staves have been read/played the player pushes the button and the reels will wind on to display something else. I plan to make the 5 reels roll at different speeds using different gear ratios (just simple like 2:1, etc), and in opposite directions. Once i get the motor turning on for a consistent amount of time i can figure out the reel sizes and spacings as well as gear ratios to match...
 
> when the staves have been read/played the player pushes the button and the reels will wind on to display something else.

Today, the rational way to do all that is with a computer program.

> the footswitch is tapped and the motor turns on for a short period of time, say 3 seconds.

Car windshield-wiper motor. Find one that goes all the way around (uses mechanical linkage to make back-forth wipres) and has a one-sweep feature. Find one where you can get the wiring diagram. I'll have to check, but I think a Honda wiper motor has a ground, a +12VDC from the keyswitch, and several more wires. One of them triggers the one-sweep feature.
 
You could probably put something together pretty easily using a 555 timer chip and a power transistor. Check out Walt Jung's IC Timer Cookbook for details.

Peace,
Paul
 
You post reminded me of an "installation" I saw at the Musee des Beaux-Arts in Montreal a few years ago.

http://www.mmfa.qc.ca/en/musee/6_arv.html

It was quite cleverly put together. Much to the dismay of my female companion, I spent a long time in the room, walking around, checking out all the time-delay relays and motors and solenoids and getting a sense of how the thing worked. Subjectively, the overall sonic effect was eerie and mournful.
 
Wow thats very cool!


Jacob and Paul! you were on the money... after a breif search i stumbled upon this...

http://www.eleinmec.com/article.asp?4 looks like it will work nicely :grin:


thanks guys...
 
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