The Most Useless Machine EVER!

And yet everyone wants one!!!?

Version 2 Kits available: FrivolousEngineering.com

Update June 8, 2010:
AS SEEN ON TV! Make Magazine's amiable editor-in-chief, Mark Frauenfelder demonstrated The Useless Machine on the Colbert Report!

Update July 22, 2010:
Useless Machine Featured in Vol 23 of Make Magazine!

Thanks everyone for all the cool comments, suggestions and all the videos! Keep 'em coming.

Step 1 Background

Also known as The Ultimate Machine: Claude E. Shannon built the first one based on an idea by Marvin Minsky.

After seeing a video of such a machine I just had to have one of my own.

The only design I could find uses a PIC microcontroller but I consider this to be overkill (not knowing how to write code for micros may have had some influence on my humble opinion...).

Additionally, the microcontroller version really doesn't shut itself off. It's circuit remains powered even when the switch is in the off position.

Knowing a little bit about servos and basic electronics, I felt sure that I could build the machine using a simple analog circuit.

My main goal however was to have the machine REALLY turn itself off.

The machine in THIS instructable accomplishes that!

Comments

[elufo]

Does anyone dares to make an infinite version of the machine? ;)

[Frivolous Engineering]

I called it Useless Squared...

[elufo]

LOL XDDD

[Frivolous Engineering]

Subliminal messages hidden in the video: If you play it backwards, you can clearly hear Ozzy Osborne commanding you to build, and worship the cult of the machine....

[TheIdrees]

I am really looking forward to making this invention. However i am at a lack of anything electrical at the moment and hope to make the whole thing without the use of electricity. It would involve some counterweights and stuff but i think it is possible! I will post pictures up as I go! Thanks for the great instructable! I also added a link to my site (here) but if you don't want this to be linked on my site just tell me. Thanks again for the amazingly pointless invention!!

[Meuryn]

Just a question about the wiring diagram, where the lead from the microswitch crosses over the lead from the the servo there's that 'bump' symbol. Is that just there to tell you the wires cross over or do I need to make a junction between the two wires or something different? Sorry, relatively new to all this.

[mrmerino]

Protip: the actual symbols for different things will vary according to who created the diagram, but basically, whenever you see that bump over the wire like up there, you can always assume that those wires don't connect.

[Frivolous Engineering]

It means the the wires are NOT connected, one just passes over-top of the other wire!

[killimaxos]

(removed by author or community request)

[capatana]

I saw this video two days ago, and made one yesterday using Lego Mindstorm, and saw this instructable today
joaca poker

[Meuryn]

Good, thankfully I did wire it the right way anyhow.

[project_builder]

Lol cool project

[Poker Online]

There are a lot of videos with useless machines on youtube similar with this. But elufo below has the gratest ideea with the "infinite version" lol :)))

[lukeyj15]

I found something similar. Make sure you watch until the end.

[evilmadcow]

get the sledgehammer

[mariome101]

it's the useless-inator... i thought doofenshmirtz gave up.
ah well...

[Chimex14]

LOLOLOLOL

[eatramen]

haha saw this a couple months ago, still funny!

[NE patsrock]

dude this thing is sico!!!

[theawesomeninja]

RAGE!!!!!!

[exotictoad]

nice video

[flydogfly]

I saw this video two days ago, and made one yesterday using Lego Mindstorm, and saw this instructable today

[Funky Mcgroovy]

The exorcist meets the most useless machine ever. lol

Thanks for the nightmare :)

[alarson3]

lol

[surfcurve]

Just finished mine and it was a little more difficult than i thought it would be, but worth it. I used krazy glue to hold everything in place. If anyone has an issue with your servo not being strong enough to flick the switch like it did, U can take switch apart and change out the spring in the middle of the switch ( i used a pen spring instead of original spring inside of the switch and it works flawlessly now.) I went with the simple method with the 2 switches and a cigar box which already came with a center cut in the lid. Will now make a great conversation piece on coffee table. Good luck to everyone who tries to build one!!! Well worth the few hours of effort.

[Frivolous Engineering]

Right on. Sometimes you can 'break in' a stiff toggle just be flipping it on/off a bunch of times but replacing the spring, that's a new one!

Thanks!

[ionutpop]

As you said, you have to appreciate the irony of such a device.

But this time I got to admit that I don’t understand the logic of this viral meme. I’ve been receiving the same link today from several directions. Nobody seems to care that it’s not a new gadget, and not a new joke. Usually the web is full of bitter commentators about “how that’s so last season”. If you bother to google with Shaude Clannon original title “The Ultimate Machine” you will find several of these.

Perhaps the best lesson is that anything (even old stuff) can become a great viral if it just hits the right people, right channels. (twitterists with influence etc.) As said by smarter people than me, meme’s (or gene’s) success is not dependent on whether it is a good meme but just in the replication efficiency.

Ionut from bwin

[blinkyblinky]

I really like this but made a useless squared without using two machines.

[Thoth505]

Hi,

I;m just wondering what the black and silver thing is at the top of the image, one of the yellow wires go to it. Thanks!

[Frivolous Engineering]

That's the diode.

[Thoth505]

Isn't that a bit to big for a diode, i can see the diode next to the resistor. Is there two?

[kfoster10]

(removed by author or community request)

[Frivolous Engineering]

I don't think that one will work, it looks like it doesn't have any gearing.

You'll want to find something like this: http://www.makershed.com/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=MKSB021

Or mod an RC servo into a gear motor...

[ldiener]

In the notes to step 4, there's a reference to "wiring to the motor". There's a nice 'ible on doing this at http://www.instructables.com/id/Remove-a-Servo-Controller/#

This reference helped me future out what that comment meant.

[aaron.t.albright]

so i wired mine exactly like the diagram and the second i flipped the switch, the servo literally started spitting smoke and burned up! i have no clue what happened?

[shawnmuller]

I had this exact same thing happen today. Did you ever figure out the cause?

[Frivolous Engineering]

Most likely something shorted out in the servo. What brand and model servo did you mod?

[lukeD]

what if you are faster than the robot, and turn it off by yourself?

[Frivolous Engineering]

Same as if the machine switched it: the arm retracts back inside the box.

[Maverick REV-6]

LOL i love this!!!