Steampunk -- Engadget

steampunk posts

Toyota's FT-EV II concept sports steampunk interior, joystick controls

by Tim Stevens posted Oct 22nd 2009 at 8:45AM

Toyota's FT-EV concept was tiny, quirky, electric powered -- and honestly a bit predictable. Its successor, the FT-EV II, takes that staid design and sends it way out there, leaving the exterior unchanged (some gold detailing adds a touch of flash) but dialing up the intrigue on the inside. The traditional wheel and pedal controls have been replaced by a gilded mechanical joystick contraption that would look appropriate on a Victorian-era rocket ship (had any such thing actually existed) leaving more legroom and what looks to be a more ergonomic driving experience. It's a control scheme the company used previously on its i-Real concept... chair... thing, but this is the first Toyota with doors to rock it. Will those sticks and all that brushed metal and faux-ivory still be there when this car releases? Not a chance, sadly.

[Via Slashdot; image courtesy of Autoblog]

Video: Comptometer does broadcast controls the steampunk way

by Vladislav Savov posted Oct 1st 2009 at 7:04AM

If you build a specialized type of hardware which, by design, rarely arouses emotions of physical desire in the general populace, you can see how you might have a bit of a challenge promoting your wares. How you get around that tiny issue is by pulling off a stunning steampunk mod while retaining the full functionality of the hardware, as British company Hi Tech have done with their Comptometer. The server controller, customized for use in live video broadcasting and editing, has already won a design award for what we understand to be "general awesomeness" and an unmissable video of its obscure workings lays just past the break.

[Via TechnaBob]

Gallery: Comptometer broadcast controller

Continue reading Video: Comptometer does broadcast controls the steampunk way

Steampunk mouse, now with 100 percent more skull

by Vladislav Savov posted Aug 21st 2009 at 5:03AM

If Lord Byron had been hip to this newfangled computer thing way back in his day, this might just have been the sort of peripheral he'd have been sporting. Made from a real sheep's skull -- and real brass, though that's somehow less interesting -- this mouse has everything a megalomaniacal world conqueror needs to feel at home: fine ornamental detailing, the soothing texture of real bone, and the enticing mental image of crushing skulls every time you click. There's not much wiggle room here, you'll either love it or loathe it, but don't fret about the sheep, it died of natural causes. More pics after the break.

[Via Technabob]

Continue reading Steampunk mouse, now with 100 percent more skull

Mechanical cheetah comin' atcha!

by Vladislav Savov posted Jul 14th 2009 at 5:12AM

Actually, it's just a sculpture with articulated joints, but by all the gods of steampunk, it looks glorious. The product of 60 hours' labor and a selection of used transmission parts, disemboweled household appliances and 20-gauge steel, the mechanical cheetah stands 24-inches tall and 50-inches long. It looks like a stripped down robocat skeleton, and its joints can be maneuvered to mimic the movements of the real feline or to strike some downright awesome poses. Hit the read link for video of the mech cheetah simulating a run, as well as creator Andrew Chase's thoughts on the project, or click past the break for more images -- including a bonus snapshot of a mech giraffe.

[Via Wired]

Continue reading Mechanical cheetah comin' atcha!

Mechanical Memory Key stores your data with the precision of an Antide Janvier timepiece

by Joseph L. Flatley posted Jun 8th 2009 at 11:24PM

Listen up, steampunkers: Have you been having a hard time finding an appropriate USB thumb drive to wear on a gold chain next to your pocket watch? Artype's 16GB Mechanical Memory Key is a handcrafted beaut, with materials that include Purpleheart for the case and twenty-six rubies. When this device is drawing USB power it glows green from beneath the gears, taking you back to your days as a hacker during the reign of Queen Victoria. Sadly, the device pictured above has already been sold, but at $165 a pop we're sure this particular artisan has plenty more of these guys in the works. Two more glamor shots for you after the break.

[Via Boing Boing]

Continue reading Mechanical Memory Key stores your data with the precision of an Antide Janvier timepiece

Rusted Steampunk USB Drive offers 4GB of storage, free tetanus infection

by Tim Stevens posted Apr 28th 2009 at 9:51AM

Steampunk mods are becoming rather more prevalent these days as tech-addled creative types reject modern sensibilities and revert to a non-existent, whimsical past. The latest such escape is called "Rusted Steampunk USB Drive - no.2," a follow-up to an earlier, slightly less rusty object d'USB. It appears to be built around a 4GB SanDisk Cruzer drive, augmented with weathered, laser-cut hunks of metal. The curvy flourish on the front says "You probably shouldn't put this in your pocket," while the dueling swordfish on the back say "I survived a trip to Rapture and all I got was this corroded chunk of storage." Yours for $40.

[Via Geeky Gadgets]

Continue reading Rusted Steampunk USB Drive offers 4GB of storage, free tetanus infection

Video: Steampunk Segway ditches electric motor for the sake of authenticity

by Darren Murph posted Apr 19th 2009 at 11:42PM

Wouldn't be caught dead on an honest-to-goodness Segway? How's about this creature? The Legway, an appropriately dubbed steampunk'd Segway, ditches the electric motor in favor of Fred Flintstone-esque motoring techniques, and it also relies almost entirely on recycled materials. The crazy part? Its creator even took the time to hand craft a step-by-step guide to building your own, which undoubtedly foreshadows the real human transporter revolution. Unfortunately, there seems to be no word on whether this thing will also reverse in unstoppable fashion when you least expect it, so stay sharp out there. Vid's after the break, and it's absolutely hilarious.

[Via AutoblogGreen]

Continue reading Video: Steampunk Segway ditches electric motor for the sake of authenticity

Steam powered USB charger keeps your iPod alive with Victorian sensibility

by Joseph L. Flatley posted Apr 12th 2009 at 5:41AM

We love this steam powered USB charging device. It's well built, useful, loud, and totally anachronistic -- the same could be said of many of our editors here. According to the inventor, the thing is based on a Jensen #75 steam engine, which is used to drive a Lego Technic motor. The motor, in turn, feeds into a voltage regulator circuit, providing a continuous 5V charge to which ever USB device you might connect to it. This prompts us to ask a few obvious questions, including: "when is someone going to build us an appropriate steampunk PMP to go with the thing?" And, of course, "aren't Legos awesome?" Video after the break.

Continue reading Steam powered USB charger keeps your iPod alive with Victorian sensibility

Cajun Crawler swaps Segway wheels for Theo Jansen's creepy leg mechanism

by Paul Miller posted Mar 16th 2009 at 12:33PM

If the Segway's current movement mechanism and cast of characters astride them wasn't keeping you up at night, the Cajun Crawler should seal the deal. Based on the work of kinetic sculptor Theo Jansen, the Cajun Crawler holds up a Segway-style platform with a scary collection of steampunk-like mechanical legs, which can scurry across a floor with surprising agility. The project was built by a team of folks at the University of Louisiana, who do not know the meaning of fear. Video is after the break.

[Via Nowhere Else]

Continue reading Cajun Crawler swaps Segway wheels for Theo Jansen's creepy leg mechanism

SteamPunk Frankenstein casemod sure to anger Luddites

by Laura June posted Feb 22nd 2009 at 3:29AM

We see plenty of Steampunk mods around these parts, but this one surely takes things to a new level of insanity. Constructed by D. Maddocks, the SteamPunk Frankenstein PC case mod is monstrously, beautifully cobbled from -- among other things -- a church vent and some cold cathode tubes. When the backlighting is fired up it's quite breataking to behold, though -- at over eight feet tall -- we're not sure we'd like to see it in our own parlor, we can certainly admire the beast from afar. One more daguerreotype after the break, but hit the read link for the whole set.

[Via Slashgear]

Continue reading SteamPunk Frankenstein casemod sure to anger Luddites

Handcrafted Scrabble keyboard could stand to be commercialized

by Darren Murph posted Jan 19th 2009 at 2:22AM

Um, can you say "sell like hotcakes?" Datamancer's incredibly amazing Scrabble keyboard is one of the slickest, most ready-for-market DIY projects we've ever had the pleasure of eying, with each letter key being constructed from an actual pre-owned Scrabble game piece. The USB keyboard itself was built with an aluminum casing for an "industrialized twist," but obviously it's the top that keeps us drooling. Oh, and there are even LEDs hidden beneath the Num Lock, Caps Lock and Scroll Lock keys, suggesting that a completely backlit iteration isn't too far out of the realm of possibility. A few more images are tucked away in the read link -- you owe it to yourself to check 'em out.

[Via SlipperyBrick]

Steampunk monitor initiative goes awry, out pops wooden enclosure

by Darren Murph posted Jan 9th 2009 at 10:54PM

The monitor you see above was awfully close to becoming exactly like this, but thankfully, the wood gods spoke to Scuba_SM's heart before he could round up another batch of Victorian-era tubing. The 22-inch wooden enclosure completely covers up the fact that an awkward looking LCD monitor is sitting on the table, and the solid maple top / base caps, light cherry stain and light coat of satin finish polyurethane make for something that's actually enjoyable to gaze at. Overkill? Maybe. Classy? Yes, please.

Steampunk monitor mod is almost too pretty to use

by Darren Murph posted Dec 22nd 2008 at 3:06AM

The modding world is severely overran with me-too steampunk hack jobs, a fact that we find particularly disheartening. But every so often, we stumble upon a diamond in the rough such as this: a masterpiece of steampunk theater that truly exhibits dedication to the craft. Australia's own Mad Uncle Cliff set aside a copious amount of time over a number of weeks in order to construct this beauty, which includes a full-fledged PC, speakers and LCD (obviously). Check the read link for the build saga, and don't forget to pay your respects before leaving.

[Via Slashgear]

The Parker Steam Synthesizer runs on steam, sounds like a theramin, Bjork wants

by Joshua Fruhlinger posted Jul 18th 2008 at 2:04PM

If synth rock was meant to go hand-in-hand with fantastic steampunk universes (and we really can't see why it wasn't), instruments would look something like the thing you see here. This is the Parker Steam Synthesizer, a steam-powered music synth that runs on water and some coal. Designer Lorin Edwin Parker controls steam pressure with a ball valve which activates a dynamo. The dynamo is a magnet motor attached to a flywheel that creates an alternating magnetic field which is then turned into electricity by an inductive pickup. That pickup is finally plugged into an amp and you have some trippy electro from a device that could have been around years ago. He says it will run for about 20 minutes on one tank of water, which, in our estimation, is just long enough for Bjork to hear it and add to her band's already-insane inventory. By the way, the Read link includes a .mov file so you can see this thing in action.

[Via MusicRadar]

DIYer crafts Victorian-style all-in-one PC

by Donald Melanson posted Apr 24th 2008 at 6:37PM

It's getting tough for steampunk fans to out-do one another these days, but DIYer Jake von Slatt has taken a solid shot at the crown with his latest creation, which one-ups most of the competition by going the all-in-one route. Of course, the fact that added thickness only adds extra character in this case makes things slightly easier but, as you can see in the fairly thorough how-to linked below, it's still not something to be attempted lightly, with it even including a nail-biting encounter of a monitor with a table saw. Click on through for a video of that, and plenty more pictures of the entire process.

[Via Uber Review]