Early Precision Compound Machines
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Spiral Ring Machine
Interview: History Channel (Jan 2005)
Distinctive spiral grooves carved on ritual jade rings buried in tombs dating from China’s Spring and Autumn period (771–475 BC) follow a precise mathematical form described by the spiral of Archimedes, 300 years before he lived. I show that the precise drafting would have required a precision compound machine in 550 BC, making it the first machine to precisely interconvert linear and rotational motion by half a millennium, and propose a basic mechanical design relying only upon technologies known to have existed at that time.
Publications:
Lu, Peter J.. "Early Precision Compound Machine from Ancient China." Science 304 (2004): 1638.
Press:
“First Compound Machine Found In China,” Popular Mechanics (Sep 2004)
“Anello cinese rivoluziona la storia della tecnologia,” Corriere Della Sera [Italy] (Jun 2004)
“Spiral ring reveals ancient complex machines,” New Scientist (Jun 2004)
“Spirales chinoises,” La Recherche [France] (Sep 2004)
“Tılsımlı Yüzük,” Atlas Geographic [Turkey] (Sep 2004)
“Uralte Feinmechanik,” Bild der Wissenschaft [Germany] (Jun 2004)
“Rotte-dna kaster lys over folkevandring,” Illustreret Videnskab [Denmark] (2004)
“Ancient Chinese technical tango,” Harvard Gazette (Jun 2004)
Links:
- BBC News [UK] (10 June 2004)
- Historic.ru [Russia] (Jun 2004)