Al-Jazari's castle clock (1206) was the first programmable analog computer.
Castle clock is a complex mechanical astronomical clock invented by Ismail al-Jazari and described in his Book of Knowledge of Ingenious Mechanical Devices, published in 1206. It was the first programmable analog computer.[1]
Al-Jazari clock was a complex device that was about 3,3 meters high (11 feet), and had multiple functions alongside timekeeping. It included a display of the zodiac and the solar and lunar orbits, and a pointer in the shape of the crescent moon which travelled across the top of a gateway, moved by a hidden cart and causing automatic doors to open, each revealing a mannequin, every hour.[2][3] It was possible to reprogram the length of day and night everyday in order to account for the changing lengths of day and night throughout the year, and it also featured five robotic musicians who automatically play music when moved by levers operated by a hidden camshaft attached to a water wheel.[1] Other components of the castle clock included a main reservoir with a float, a float chamber and flow regulator, plate and valve trough, two pulleys, crescent disc displaying the zodiac, and two falcon automata dropping balls into vases.[4]
Innovations[]
The castle clock, a hydro-powered mechanical astronomical clock invented by Al-Jazari in 1206, is considered to be the earliest programmable analog computer.[5] It displayed the zodiac, the solar and lunar orbits, a crescent moon-shaped pointer travelling across a gateway causing automatic doors to open every hour,[6][7] and five robotic musicians who play music when moved by levers operated by a camshaft attached to a water wheel. The length of day and night could be re-programmed every day in order to account for the changing lengths of day and night throughout the year.[5]
The first known use of a camshaft dates back to Al-Jazari in 1206.[8] His camshaft was attached to a water wheel and was used to operate levers moving robotic musicians in his castle clock.[9]
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 "[[Ancient Discoveries]], Episode 11: Ancient Robots". History Channel. Retrieved 2008-09-06.
{{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires|journal=(help); URL–wikilink conflict (help) - ↑ Howard R. Turner (1997), Science in Medieval Islam: An Illustrated Introduction, p. 184. University of Texas Press, ISBN 0292781490.
- ↑ Donald Routledge Hill, "Mechanical Engineering in the Medieval Near East", Scientific American, May 1991, p. 64-69. (cf. Donald Routledge Hill, Mechanical Engineering)
- ↑ Salim Al-Hassani (13 March 2008). "How it Works: Mechanism of the Castle Clock". FSTC. Retrieved 2008-09-06.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 "Machines of the East". Ancient Discoveries. episode 10. season 3. History Channel. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-60niJUZjEU. Retrieved 2008-09-07. "Episode 11: Ancient Robots", Ancient Discoveries, History Channel, retrieved 2009-10-12
- ↑ Donald Routledge Hill, "Mechanical Engineering in the Medieval Near East", Scientific American, May 1991, pp. 64–9 (cf. Donald Routledge Hill, Mechanical Engineering (Castle clock on the Internet Archive))
- ↑ Howard R. Turner (1997), Science in Medieval Islam: An Illustrated Introduction, p. 184, University of Texas Press, ISBN 0-292-78149-0
- ↑ Georges Ifrah (2001), The Universal History of Computing: From the Abacus to the Quatum Computer, p. 171, Trans. E.F. Harding, John Wiley & Sons, Inc. (See [1])
- ↑ "Machines of the East". Ancient Discoveries. episode 10. season 3. History Channel. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-60niJUZjEU. Retrieved 2008-09-07. "Episode 11: Ancient Robots", Ancient Discoveries, History Channel, retrieved 2009-10-12