Marcus Wu

He / him - Software Engineer / Team Lead / Engineering Manager. I am a maker and 3D printing enthusiast.

[Marcus Wu @marcuswu]

My original 3D printed Curta calculator is getting an upgrade -- aluminum main shaft and carbon fiber five point axles

[Marcus Wu @marcuswu]

@khirnera They haven't been produced since the early 70s, but I can confirm that a Curta calculator is extremely satisfying to hold, use, and own

[Marcus Wu @marcuswu]

I'm at #FIRSTChamp with team 3506 YETI that my kid participated in this year! It's incredible seeing so many talented teams and students!

[Marcus Wu @marcuswu]

@TheMekon_Venus The story behind it and its creator is awesome! https://t.co/uHwTbB8Gld

How it works is equally interesting
https://t.co/t1v1Osp8tu

[Marcus Wu @marcuswu]

@TheMekon_Venus A Curta Calculator. The red and black knobs set input digits. Each turn of the crank at the top adds the input to the results which are at the top and can't be seen from this view. This one is cut to be able to see the inner mechanism.

[Marcus Wu @marcuswu]

@GeePaudler @ZDP189 @hackaday Agreed that's likely the device. The Curta and its creator, Curt Herzstark, also have a fascinating history. Hackaday has some good articles on it:
https://t.co/KNxIYhjZ75
https://t.co/Age4ARMPIO

[Marcus Wu @marcuswu]

@daiginjo88 The inventor had already been working on the calculate design before the war. He had to redraw the engineering drawings from memory while at Buchenwald. It almost certainly would have been done sooner without German influence.

[Marcus Wu @marcuswu]

@rui314 Awesome Type I! It looks like it's in great shape!

[Marcus Wu @marcuswu]

@HNTweets It's awesome to see this incredible device getting some visibility

[Marcus Wu @marcuswu]

@ShortFormErnie put together and awesome piece on the history of the Curta Calculator. It's a good read and contains a lot of detail about its inventor's trials to design it and make it a reality. https://t.co/WiU5nhPFRv

[Marcus Wu @marcuswu]

@RobEdmunds11 He definitely had ideas about the Curta before the invasion. I hadn't heard that he had a prototype, but he may have. If he did, I doubt he had access to it in the camp where he drew up the designs.

[Marcus Wu @marcuswu]

It's busier than the sketch because sketch elements like lines are broken down into a mathematical line and two points. Arcs are center, start, and end points. Blue is construction geometry and black is the part that would be revolved or extruded to generate 3D geometry.

[Marcus Wu @marcuswu]

I'm excited that I got my geometric constraint solver solving a more complex sketch. Nodes in the graph represent elements, lines represent constraints. #math #cad #programming #algorithm

[Marcus Wu @marcuswu]

@r00_lux @kenshirriff @donttrythis That's right.

A Type I is also on my list -- gotta complete the set sometime

[Marcus Wu @marcuswu]

@r00_lux @kenshirriff Interesting, that's a cut Curta. It'd be really cool to see one of those in operation.

[Marcus Wu @marcuswu]

@r00_lux @kenshirriff It's definitely on my bucket list

[Marcus Wu @marcuswu]

@r00_lux @kenshirriff I do, I have an awesome Type II with the case signed by @donttrythis

[Marcus Wu @marcuswu]

@r00_lux @kenshirriff I really should visit the computer history museum at some point. Unfortunately, I live on the other side of the country.

[Liechtensteinisches LandesMuseum @LandesMuseumLI]

#Curta is a mechanical calculator designed by #CurtHerzstark. It is known for its compact design. It was affectionately known as the "pepper grinder" due to its shape and means of operation; its superficial resemblance to hand grenade also earned it the nickname "math grenade."