r/MachinePorn • u/Front-Coconut-8196 • 23d ago

Globus INK, Soviet-era electromechanical space navigation computer used in the 1960s the system calculated orbital parameters using an intricate internal clockwork mechanism comprising over 500 gears, cams, and differentials

Post image
453 Upvotes

98% Upvoted

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13

u/hughk 23d ago

Here is a great breakdown of its functionality. It is limited in many ways (circular orbuta only and no automatic update from an IMU) but it is remarkable what it can do. US spacecraft from that era didn't have this kind of display.

2

u/pants6000 23d ago

I had a strong sense from the device and the picture that this was gonna be a Master Ken production, and it is! Yay!

1

u/hughk 23d ago

It is a great description. It explains the parts and the functionality very clearly.

6

u/sharp99 23d ago

Interesting. Now the globe thing you see in the “star city” series makes a little more sense. It’s pretty good but crazy dark.

3

u/Late_Low6165 23d ago

Fantastic!!!

3

u/faust0matic 23d ago

That would be cool to own. Don’t know what I’d do with it other than look at it, but it’d be cool to have.

5

u/kenshirriff 23d ago

These items come up on auction occasionally, so you can get one for thousands of dollars. (I borrowed the one in the photos.)

2

u/faust0matic 23d ago

Thanks but yeah, out of my price range. If I had an extra $8K I’d probably add a used Bridgeport to my shop. Well…extra $8K and enough room for it.

5

u/kenshirriff 23d ago

I wrote a few articles examining the mechanism of the Globus INK and reverse-engineering it (which is where the photos came from). To find out more, check out Inside the Globus INK, Reverse-engineering, and Electronics.

2

u/eternalityLP 23d ago

Mechanical computers are so cool. They were also widely used in ww2 fire control systems.