element14 Community
element14 Community
    Register Log In
  • Site
  • Search
  • Log In Register
  • About Us
  • Community Hub
    Community Hub
    • What's New on element14
    • Feedback and Support
    • Benefits of Membership
    • Personal Blogs
    • Members Area
    • Achievement Levels
  • Learn
    Learn
    • Ask an Expert
    • eBooks
    • element14 presents
    • Learning Center
    • Tech Spotlight
    • STEM Academy
    • Webinars, Training and Events
    • Learning Groups
  • Technologies
    Technologies
    • 3D Printing
    • FPGA
    • Industrial Automation
    • Internet of Things
    • Power & Energy
    • Sensors
    • Technology Groups
  • Challenges & Projects
    Challenges & Projects
    • Design Challenges
    • element14 presents Projects
    • Project14
    • Arduino Projects
    • Raspberry Pi Projects
    • Project Groups
  • Products
    Products
    • Arduino
    • Avnet Boards Community
    • Dev Tools
    • Manufacturers
    • Multicomp Pro
    • Product Groups
    • Raspberry Pi
    • RoadTests & Reviews
  • Store
    Store
    • Visit Your Store
    • Choose another store...
      • Europe
      •  Austria (German)
      •  Belgium (Dutch, French)
      •  Bulgaria (Bulgarian)
      •  Czech Republic (Czech)
      •  Denmark (Danish)
      •  Estonia (Estonian)
      •  Finland (Finnish)
      •  France (French)
      •  Germany (German)
      •  Hungary (Hungarian)
      •  Ireland
      •  Israel
      •  Italy (Italian)
      •  Latvia (Latvian)
      •  
      •  Lithuania (Lithuanian)
      •  Netherlands (Dutch)
      •  Norway (Norwegian)
      •  Poland (Polish)
      •  Portugal (Portuguese)
      •  Romania (Romanian)
      •  Russia (Russian)
      •  Slovakia (Slovak)
      •  Slovenia (Slovenian)
      •  Spain (Spanish)
      •  Sweden (Swedish)
      •  Switzerland(German, French)
      •  Turkey (Turkish)
      •  United Kingdom
      • Asia Pacific
      •  Australia
      •  China
      •  Hong Kong
      •  India
      •  Korea (Korean)
      •  Malaysia
      •  New Zealand
      •  Philippines
      •  Singapore
      •  Taiwan
      •  Thailand (Thai)
      • Americas
      •  Brazil (Portuguese)
      •  Canada
      •  Mexico (Spanish)
      •  United States
      Can't find the country/region you're looking for? Visit our export site or find a local distributor.
  • Translate
  • Profile
  • Settings
Upcycle IoT Design Challenge
  • Challenges & Projects
  • Design Challenges
  • Upcycle IoT Design Challenge
  • More
  • Cancel
Upcycle IoT Design Challenge
Blog Mr. Pentium aka Running Man
  • Blog
  • Forum
  • Files
  • Members
  • Mentions
  • Sub-Groups
  • Tags
  • More
  • Cancel
  • New
Join Upcycle IoT Design Challenge to participate - click to join for free!
  • Share
  • More
  • Cancel
Group Actions
  • Group RSS
  • More
  • Cancel
Engagement
  • Author Author: dougw
  • Date Created: 29 Dec 2023 9:50 PM Date Created
  • Views 670 views
  • Likes 11 likes
  • Comments 2 comments
  • dougw
  • Upcycle IoT Design Challenge
  • Running Man
  • Mr. Pentium
Related
Recommended

Mr. Pentium aka Running Man

dougw
dougw
29 Dec 2023

Intro

This part of the upcycling design challenge is about making use of obsolete but iconic integrated circuits. We don't usually see the chips that make our computers work, so I thought I would extract them and showcase them in a work of art which captures the hardware essence of the PC phenomenon in a 6 dimensional sculpture. The iconic chips used in this PC characterize the maturing PC revolution at the turn of the century. The corporate branding on the various chips really resonate with people who were immersed in the PC revolution, particularly because famous peripherals had the same branding.

Technical Symbology

Brand names on the big chips from this PC really illustrate the core technologies that comprise the soul of a PC at the turn of the century.
The primary symbology of the iconic "running man" sculpture is that it represents the perpetually running Pentium supported by key peripheral ICs.
There are also other symbologies embodied in the design:
- The hard disk mounting plate symbolically holds a 3 dimensional database of core PC technologies, and it can also spin forever on its solar powered turntable.
- Each of the chips symbolize important features that were part of the PC ethos, and their integration into a single device opened up vast capabilities. This is why they were all included in the sculpture.

Mr Pentium aka Running Man

image

Not only is the sculpture a 3 dimensional visual work of art that evokes memories and intellectual concepts, it is also responds interactively to external stimuli, and it does it without batteries or external power connections.

At the start, I called it a 6 dimensional sculpture.
The first 3 dimensions don't need much explanation, although the sculpture transforms a classic 2D running man icon firmly into the real 3 dimensional world.
The fourth dimension is always time which is crucial in a perpetually running computer, in this case the solar rotating pedestal presents an infinite number of visual angles over time.
The fifth dimension in this case is that the sculpture is interactive, it responds to external stimuli with its eyes which can light up in response to vibration.
The sixth dimension is purely intellectual; the sculpture evokes memories, feelings and concepts that are much larger than the physical sculpture itself. This sixth dimension is different for each viewer, and it is the primary reason why I made the sculpture. I knew it would evoke powerful memories and feelings in me.

The Mr. Pentium Video

You don't have permission to edit metadata of this video.
Edit media
x
image
Upload Preview
image

The Schematic

image

This circuit amplifies any small signal from a piezo disk to turn on some LEDs. The power is supplied by 3 photovoltaic cells in series which charge a 1000µf capacitor. The voltage is regulated by 2 white LEDs in series across the capacitor, so when the voltage exceeds 5 volts they start to conduct and prevent the voltage from exceeding 6 volts.

Discussion

This recycling/upcycling project goes all the way down to the chip level in this episode, building a sculpture from obsolete chips. It isn't just a static sculpture though, it is animated and interactive, with both of these features being solar powered. It takes the concept of a perpetually running Pentium to the next level, implementing continuous operation without batteries or external power.

The sculpture design started with some CAD work based on popsicle sticks. It then shifted to several days of gluing sticks together, however it was so tedious waiting for glue to dry that I switched to designing a 3D printed frame based loosely on a scaled version of my own body dimensions.

The perfectly circular, perfectly polished hard disk platter used in the base is not very photogenic, but it in person it really adds a sense of high class and high quality to the sculpture. 

Viewers will have their own take on this work, but for me it represents an intriguing way to preserve and highlight some of the core technologies that greatly affected my life and career in a positive way.

This little project saved some obsolete chips from being worthless to preserving something priceless.

How did the PC revolution affect your life and how do you commemorate it?

Links:

Upcycle The Beast - Blog 1

Serendipitous Salvage - Blog 2

What is on those old disks?

Mr. Pentium

PC based bench supply

Curiosity Nano Unboxing

 Curiosity Nano Programming 

 Super-cycle Design Challenge 

 Upcycle IoT Design Challenge 

Upcycle IoT Design Challenge Info

  • Sign in to reply
  • JWx
    JWx over 1 year ago

    I had a similar idea last year Slight smile not exactly worth Christmas competition but some sort of recycling for sure...

    image

    • Cancel
    • Vote Up 0 Vote Down
    • Sign in to reply
    • More
    • Cancel
  • genebren
    genebren over 1 year ago

    Fun addition to your recycle project!

    • Cancel
    • Vote Up 0 Vote Down
    • Sign in to reply
    • More
    • Cancel
element14 Community

element14 is the first online community specifically for engineers. Connect with your peers and get expert answers to your questions.

  • Members
  • Learn
  • Technologies
  • Challenges & Projects
  • Products
  • Store
  • About Us
  • Feedback & Support
  • FAQs
  • Terms of Use
  • Privacy Policy
  • Legal and Copyright Notices
  • Sitemap
  • Cookies

An Avnet Company © 2025 Premier Farnell Limited. All Rights Reserved.

Premier Farnell Ltd, registered in England and Wales (no 00876412), registered office: Farnell House, Forge Lane, Leeds LS12 2NE.

ICP 备案号 10220084.

Follow element14

  • X
  • Facebook
  • linkedin
  • YouTube