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  • Author Author: nbizzell
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Sci Fi Your Pi - Prince Dakkar's patent log taking chart compass

nbizzell

I found out earlier in the week that I had been selected to take part in this design challenge. When I was trying to think of an idea for this challenge I wanted to do something different but I was struggling to think of anything much different form the examples (and couldn't work out how to make an actual lightsabre). Eventually in this search for difference I thought about the different way technology is shown to evolve in the Steam punk genre of Sci Fi.

 

In the genre steam power airships and Victorian costumes are the order of the day. New technology is mixed in with the old and all is very stylised. The video below is a quick crash course in modern steampunk films

 

 

 

Some of the more popular recent films have some good examples of Steampunk technology. League of Extraordinary Gentleman features Captain Nemos submarine the 'Nautilus' and there are some interesting ideas in Skycaptain and The World of Tomorrow had some interesting ideas. (trailers below).

 

This video is unavailable.

 

This video is unavailable.

 

The work of Jules Verne and HG wells is very influential (hence the predominance of victoriana) and this would be an incomplete introduction to the genre without mention of the 60s film 'The Time Machine' The time machine itself is a really interesting design (and featured in  an episode of the 'The Big Bang Theory') which in some ways centered my thoughts on what i was aiming for.

 

These films and books have the Gentleman adventurer at their hart and that is what gave me the inspiration for my project. Any adventurer worth his salt needs to know where he is going and there is very little 'Dash and Elan' points gained from using a simple map. A vastly over complicated machine with suitably dramatic operation will be much more the sort of thing.

 

So the device I am creating is Prince Dakkar's patent log taking chart compass. A device that will revolutionise the way an adventurer will find his way around the world. There will be levers and wheels to turn. the display will be like an old worlde map (thing here be dragons). and the route indication will be like the scenes in films where the characters 'Travel by Map'.  The operation wil be suitably dramatic and the finished product will be have lost of gears and wheels and levers as part of the integral operation.

 

I have added a few pictures below to show some of the stylistic influences for this project.

 

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I will attempt to document fully each of the sections of the project here and will make the code available for anyone mad enough to want to make their own version. I now have a big box of parts to investigate and some extra parts to order.

Parents

  • I am really happy of your choice! The idea is great and will be  something like a "useful toy" that's more than a simply steampunk appareil but a sort of trasversal imposition of the SP culture in the real world.  Really nice!

    I appreciate the gothic atmosphere od the Steampunk and - despite my tries - I was never been able to make something feeling steampunk so I appreciate more the idea that there is on the table a project all to be followed while it is going ahead, that's something different than the mood of exploring an already done, finished instructable. image

     

    Just a film I was thinking while I was seeing the examples in your post. What do you think of "Dune" ? It's some year I don't see this film but if I remember there are many points where the steampunk design and concept emerge in a well balanced way with the rest of the scenes context.

     

    Cheers.

Comment

  • I am really happy of your choice! The idea is great and will be  something like a "useful toy" that's more than a simply steampunk appareil but a sort of trasversal imposition of the SP culture in the real world.  Really nice!

    I appreciate the gothic atmosphere od the Steampunk and - despite my tries - I was never been able to make something feeling steampunk so I appreciate more the idea that there is on the table a project all to be followed while it is going ahead, that's something different than the mood of exploring an already done, finished instructable. image

     

    Just a film I was thinking while I was seeing the examples in your post. What do you think of "Dune" ? It's some year I don't see this film but if I remember there are many points where the steampunk design and concept emerge in a well balanced way with the rest of the scenes context.

     

    Cheers.

Children