I'm working on a mechanical computer that plays Nim. To make it simple, it only goes up to seven. That doesn't mean it will be easy for some people.

Anyways, I have finished virtual testing, and it seems to be going fairly well. It should be fairly easy to create, and I hope to get a 3D-printed model, although I'll probably start with LEGOs.

For those wondering, here's the basic concept:

First, either you make a move (by changing the input to one or two) or leave it alone for the computer to make a move. It then checks the input and changes what you put in using the following system:

01X=100
X01=X1X
else=XX1

0=make bit 0
1=make bit 1
X=leave bit alone

I should only need three "gates" to make this, so friction may not be an issue, but I want some expert opinions on this. Do you think that this would work? Do you have any questions about it? Do you have any ideas for changes to be made or additions to it? Constructive criticism is appreciated.

For the moment, the name of the device is the "NIMrod." I think it fits. It plays Nim, is made up of moving rods, and is devoted to its game (AWESOME pun!).

What do you think?

Take a look at dr. Panda's video.

I've seen that. This is different. It uses rods moving back and forth to signify binary numbers, and that uses marbles. It's like a Digi-Comp I versus a Digi-Comp II. I might need to give a better explanation.