The Curta Calculator: A Mechanical Marvel Explained | Part 1
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- Опубликовано: 10 сен 2024
- I've always wanted to create this explainer since I first discovered the Curta calculator. It's fascinating to think that such a high-tech, portable device was invented in the 1940s without CAD tools or CNC machining. I spent countless days and nights figuring out how to explain it, and now, here we are. Given the length of the script and the complexity of the mechanisms, I've decided to make this a two-part series. I hope you learn something new from this video and stay tuned for Part 2.
In this video, we'll dive into the Curta's mechanics, show you how to use it for addition, subtraction, and multiplication, and reveal why it's a collector's dream. Join us to discover the ingenious engineering behind this historical masterpiece! Don't forget to like, subscribe, and stay tuned for Part 2!
If you want to tinker around with a Curta yourself, check out the Curta simulator, which I also used to understand some of its parts.
satadorus.eu/x...
If you found an error in my videos or you know a better way of explaining, please feel to leave a comment, and we can discuss about it..
Please consider supporting us on / quasared to help us continue bringing you detailed and informative videos. Thanks for watching, and see you in the next video!
If you would like to sponsor our educational videos, please contact us at quasaranimationstudio@gmail.com
3d model credited to mwu at the curta page.
#curta #mechanicalcalculator #mechanicalmarvels #mechanicalengineering #explainervideo #animatedexplainer #howitworks #mathematics #calculator
![The most beautiful equation in math, explained visually [Euler’s Formula]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/f8CXG7dS-D0/mqdefault.jpg)
I want to take a moment to apologize for using an AI-generated voice in this explainer video. I understand that a real human voice can provide a more engaging and personal touch but unfortunately English is my second language. However, I want to assure you that everything else - the script, research, and animation - was done by me with many hours and days of hard work. Your appreciation of this effort means a lot to me. As my channel grows and I receive more support from viewers like you, I plan to invest in professional voiceover services to enhance the quality of my content. Your understanding and support are greatly appreciated, and I am committed to continuously improving the experience for all of you. Thank you for being a part of this journey.
Thank you, the animation was great
I didn't mind, but I would honestly prefer an ESL accent over an AI voice. Your disclaimer shows you are quite proficient at English, so I don't think people would have minded an accent. With so many disinformation videos out there using AI voices tho, my concern is that it would cheapen an otherwise fantastic animation with great research.
Great video btw. The animation explains very clearly how Curtas use Leibniz's stepped drum and how the carry works.
Thank you for your support...
@@jesuizanmich Thank you for understanding...I will try to practice my speaking skill for future videos.
Great video. Just do your own voice. Issac Arthur had/has a speech impediment and narrates 2 videos a week. Trust me. If the content is good (and this was), then people will adapt / get used to it
The Curta is a piece of art as well as your 3D animation
@@RossMinchev Thank you..
I have one. It is truly a mechanical marvel. But I never knew how it actually worked. Thanks so much for the explanation. You have cleared up the operation wonderfully. Now I am even more impressed with my Curta! Thanks and Cheers.
@@dscott1524Please wait for the part 2. There are more amazing mechanisms left to explain..
I want to say there are videos of people taking these apart on RUclips. But, I could be thinking of other, much larger mechanical calculators. CuriousMarc comes to mind. He's done videos on mechanical calculators before, but again, I'm not sure if he did the Curta or not. It's been some years since I've watched anything about them.
My dad tried to explain it to me when I was younger but I didn't have a grasp yet. This video is fascinating. I hope you get a newfound appreciation for that curta of yours.
I own one too and want to thank you a lot for your genious explanations 💚💚💚💚💚💚💚💚💚
ME: I understand everything .
My BRAIN: No You Don't.
😅😅😅
Wow. I recently found one of these in my late aunt’s effects. She was a food scientist. I’m an engineer but no clue how it worked but the quality told me it was something extraordinary. And made in Lichtenstein of all places. Probably not used since 1950s. Finally a “how to” guide as the instructions were not clear. Thanks ! It works like a charm and in mint condition.
@@ckruberg Hope you have fun..
Hard to say what is more amazing, the mechanism or the video you made of it. Brilliant job done.
🤩🤩
I’ve used one, but only tinkering. We already had the first electronic calculators, with vacuum glow tubes for readout. It’s an amazing little device, sitting comfortably in the hand with a very precise feel to the mechanics. That was about 1968. Always wondered how it worked, and I’ve never seen one since. Thank you!
I wanna see that vacuum glow tubes calculator.🧐🤓
amazing work of art animation and mechanics keep it up bro
Thank you for the support. I'll try my best.
Yeah
I have one in pristine condition, it was purchased by my father in the mid 60s.
Nice animation.
Thank you...
I can't wait for part 2 this is the best explanation I ever seen of the curta calculator
Thank you..
That’s is how AI voiceover should be used, allow people to spread their knowledge when English is not their first language, and not for content farm that spit out useless video
Yeah..because of those content farms, some people mistake my videos for "AI content" not worth watching , even though I only use Ai voiceover.😔
Excellent explanation! Graphics are very clear and help understand this mechanical marvel.
As a teenager I was fascinated with these!! I first saw them written up in The Whole Earth Catalog, which I used to study for hours at a time when I was supposed to be doing my homework. I'm thankful for the memories this video brought back and it's excellent description of its workings!
@@dlmsarge8329 Glad it helps..
This was amazing, I actually understood how it works. Thank you for the effort you put into this, I hope your channel does really well.
Thank you..part 2 will be coming soon.
In mundane and monotony, these videos being a breath of fresh air. World is made more beautiful by poets, Artisans, Craftsman. Thanks. It's a marvel. Real videos inspire people to go further in their aspirations.
@@RR-vu8ch Thank you.
People back in the day were different man, this genuinely gave me goosebumps. I cannot even start comprehending how one is supposed to figure this out, so many moving precision parts with everything working in perfect sync. I'm blown away. 🤯
@@038Dude That is how I felt when I first saw the Curta..
It's safe to say that this is the work of a genius. These are people that know how to utilize the entire mental tool chest. Instead of people like me, that in comparison barely know how to hold a set of pliers. 😂
Wow! Your channel and this video deserve many many more views. I hope it goes viral, the quality is top notch!
Thank you for your support...🥳🤓
dude, normally I scroll right past stuff with a synthesized voiceover ... but you explained why right up front, and you did an incredible job on the animation. Fascinating presentation, Thank You!
@@4wheelwarrior 🤓🤓 I'll try my own voice next time..
Fantastic CAD work, animation , script writing. Looking forward to more of your work!!
@@Ifenya Thank you..
Fantastic video. Really explained well about the working of this magnificent device. Please continue to create more such videos of other incredible inventions.
Your appreciation for this engineering is contagious, nicely done!
I managed to pick up a couple of Type II units. I doubt if either has bee serviced since leaving the factory in the 1960s, but they both function perfectly. You can practically feel the quality and precision. It’s very interesting to see the inner workings.
01:13 ERROR! The graphic on the cap is correct, with Open - Turn to the left, but the animation case has a right hand thread and the top is screwed on as if this was correct.
It triggered me too 😅
I didn't pay attention to the case during animation, sorry about that..
@@quasar-ed no problem 😁
Humans are amazing ! What an oberservation.
this was seriously amazing video. such animation and clear crisp explanation.
@@SDFNI3894YR Thank you..
this is the best video in youtube
Thanks for the breakdown. Babbage would be proud. I love old mechanical devices. I've wanted one of these since the 1950s but I've never been able to afford one. Maybe in my next life...
yeah..I also love these mechanical devices..Would you like to see more devices like this?
Wowwww, superbly explained, hats off, this channel is going to become great, trust me, all the best 👍
😊😃Thank you so much..
U just earned a subscriber. Im sure it took you days to make this video and the only way of appreciating your effort is to subscribe. 🎉🎉
Thank you for your support. I'll try my best.
Very very good video. Your explanations on how the carry mechanism is working is wonderful. I’ve also learned how to spell subtraction !
Mark my words, this channel will do the best. All the best mate.
🤩Hoping for the best..please keep supporting.
Amazing invention... You explained it like a charm
Fantastic explanation and wonderful graphics! The Curta was popular into the 1980's for competing in Time-Speed-Distance car rallies. They were perfect for doing continuous calculations needed to make sure you were running on time.
@@garygrebus1602 I didn't know that..Thank you.
Nice Video! Thank you so much! The Curta has been produced in Mauren, Liechtenstein and many of the employees of Contina are still living in our village.
It would be honor to meet these master craftsmen..
@@gemeindemauren3291 I have a Contina camera inherited from my mother who emigrated from Germany to Australia.
Excellent work, very well explained, thanks for sharing, and waiting for the next chapter - Greetings from Colombia
Greeting...Thank you for the support, the next part coming soon in about 2 or 3 days..🤓😇
Very nice piece of kit. A handheld mechanical ALU.
I did my engineering apprenticeship at Rolls Royce in Bristol from 1969 until 1975 and continued working there for a few years afterwards. The engineers in the design and performance departments used them all the time and they were very adept indeed.
I didn't know Curta was used in these serious fields. It is like mechanical calculators were lost tales when the electronic ones came out. Being a 90s born, I always believed calculators were always electronic until a few years ago I found the Curta. Thank you for the info.
@@quasar-ed Rolls Royce had a computer department but it was a slow turnaround. You had to submit your punched cards to the department and then pick up the results the next day. For quick results and making initial design calculations they used the Curta. I sat opposite a guy who used one all the time and it fascinated me to watch his fingers flying. He worked really fast. Electronic calculators were just starting to come in to general use. At the time I still used my slide rule which had taken me through college, I still have it.
I have never understood this mechanism this well. Wow, I wish I had one
what an amazing little device. thank you.
Wow, an A I. Voiced video that actually has substance. Well done. A very intriguing device.
@@desertstonestudio3315 Thank you..next time will be real voice..
A terrific video. I have a Curta Type 2 myself and it's extraordinary. This is the best video I've seen at showing off how it works.
Thank you, your type 2 must have more digits..
Impressive animations and truly interesting mechanical marvel. Thank you for your great effort to educate us.
This is actually insane.
Excellent video and animations. I've never heard of a Curta Calculator but I did have a rudimentary introduction to the slide rule. They both can be fantastic instruments if the operator is skilled in all the intricacies. Thanks for all your work.
@@HWPcville You are welcome..
After 5 mins everything went over head 🤯, Actually started watching this after being unable to sleep but brain had a forceful shutdown and had a great good night sleep.
@@SciencXplorer glad my video gave you a sound sleep..
@@quasar-ed Please do take this positively.
Kudos to you for all the effort taken in explaining such an extreme level of complexity in a more understandable manner. All I wanted to say was that I have to watch this video 2-3 times to digest everything being explained.
@@SciencXplorer Don't worry, I got your joke..Thank you for your support..😀
You are absolutely the best in this explanation ❤
@@time4062 Thank you..
It’s on my wish list
Absolutely wonderful. I read about the Curta as a kid. It seemed almost magical and of course I wanted one. I had a mechanical pocket Adding device, a stylus based mechanism that for its day was pretty clever. But it could only do Addition and Subtraction. I wondered how the Curta could multiply. Well, I just found out through your vid today. Impressive... the device, your animations and explanations. Applause.
@@dondec You mean this one ruclips.net/video/3e7ys2KzFNU/видео.htmlsi=-U0GshBIqOMPCFia?
@@dondec And Thank you for appreciation..😇
@@quasar-ed I can't believe you described and animated my old Calculator... which was indeed called the Magic Brain, exactly as you showed. You have the same fascination for ingenious devices that I have, but your animations are Haha, way better than mine (I was a beta tester for Maxon's Cinema 4D years ago). Anyway, I have to share this story. When I was 12 years old, on vacation, we stopped at a restaurant that had a old fashioned mechanical slot machine. I could hardly believe what I was seeing. This purely mechanical device, checked for the right coin, then allowed the pull arm to spin the wheels that stopped in a staggered 1,2,3 sequence then somehow sampled the result, delivering a precise payout in coins. As a kid I tried to figure out how it worked, making many diagrams on paper. I couldn't even figure out how the pull arm made the wheels spin, LOL, let alone sequence them 1,2,3 and sample/deliver payouts. 40 years later I bought a similar machine as an antique, a Jennings machine. I had to take it apart to finally satisfy my childhood curiosity... how it worked. The thing is truly one marvel after another. Real genius stuff. I made a movie about it here. You're welcome to watch it... I think you'd love it. Ignore the title, I asked a couple Remote Viewers if they could sketch what this was. Thx for your videos and here's the link: ruclips.net/video/UO8IL4GM9ig/видео.html
@@dondec Thank you so much for sharing that story. I would love to make an animated explainer about that if I have a chance to see all the parts..
Such a creative approach, loved it!
Interesting (and brilliant example of mechanical invention), it would become very relevant during a post apocalypse era, when batteries and most electronic devices are no longer relevant.
@@SynthoidSounds imagine if we haven't invented transistors, there would be more mechanical systems like in steampunks..
You made to wish I could have one. Such an amazing explanation.
🤩🤩😇😃
I’ve coveted one since the 60s. Back then they were too expensive for a schoolboy, and then when I could afford one, electronic calculators were much more affordable and I had kids to raise. Now I’m retired, and they’re collectors items, and once again, too expensive. Sigh.
@@MrBerryK Yeah, I searched on many sites too 😂 but still very very expensive. Hope one day get it.
📸 awesome like I turned my life around like 360 degrees.
It's basically an arithmometer reduced to a single drum. Pretty clever.
This is the coolest thing I see today
@@iamthestorm925 Thank u..
Didn't know about it. We didn't have such in Russia, AFAIK. It's fascinating.
Love this little mechanical marvel
I too have one Curta. It's really an amazing piece of art AND engineering. Incredible how Curt could figure ot how to build it. And your animation is truly amazing too! Can't wait for part 2.
@@okjhum part 2 is out..
@@quasar-ed Haha, I found it right after I published my comment! :-D Thank you for all of this impressive animation work. How did you do it? X-rayed a Curta and 3D-printed each part digitally??
@@okjhum There is a CAD model on 'the curta page'. So it helps a lot, although I need to clean up the topology for rendering and animations.
Awesome invention, never heard before 🤯 Awesome video and explanation!!! 👍
@@tomisss3 Thank you..glad it helps..
Superb video! This must have taken a lot of work and it is very much appreciated! Subscribed.
@@avnertishby Thank you so much...
Keep it up ❤from india 🇮🇳
My dad used one at Boeing. ...still has it.
That is so smart. Wow
Multiplication is multiples of addition and division is multiples of subtraction.
Designing this using modern CAD would be impressive enough but it was actually designed using paper which is just insane.
@@kellymoses8566 Those times were truely impressive.
Amazing work! Can't wait for part 2!
@@gunnert4562 It is now in final rendering stage. Coming out soon.
Wtf is is incredible. As a mechanical engineer im feeling dumb seeing this masterpiece of art
@@louissenn9897 yeah..I can relate..
I see how carry works for a single carry, but what about for multiple carries (e.g. 999999 + 1)? How does the carry work its way through all the digits?
@@smalin all the carry levers will be pushed down one after the other. The carry propagates from each digit to the next until it gets to the most significant digit which neglects the carry..it won't be instantaneous like electronic computer, you can see the carry propagation along with the single tooth of the step drum. Hope that makes sense...you can also check out the simulator, I put the link in description..
Multiple carries implies that the carry gear and the tens bell are executed in each place in sequence as the crank is turned. Meaning the carries are propagated right to left by the crank’s action. This is a common method for most mechanical calculators.
@@robertsteinbach7325 exactly..Thank you..
I am the proud owner of a Curta since the early 90ties
@@Ghredle I envy you..
absolutely brilliant
@@congahydra9996 Thank you..
this video is amazing man , thank you so much i learned a lot ! :D your work is high quality
@@mehdielkamch9257 I am glad you learned something from my video. Thank you for supporting. I'll keep making better videos.
This reminds me of Chalres Babbage' analytical engines
Beautiful. basically how your computer operates
Not really. Today computers and other digital staff works with binary numbers, not in decimal system like in this mechanical calculator. Any system can be converted into another, but in digital electronics using anything between 0 and 1 is unpractical.
@@norbert.kiszka yes yes, that should be obvious. I’m talking about the basic principles of registers, counters and repeated addition and subtraction
I just have to say, as a Data Science major, the decimal place holders are the most genius part of this to me.
Why this channel don't already have a million subs? (999th sub btw...)
This is super awesome!!!
Great modeling and animation ! ( and interesting engineering piece )
Amazing explanation, very interesting device.
Now imagine a nanotechnology version of this. Each gear is the size of a carbon molecule. I wonder if it would be faster than the fastest computer of today?
renowned for its portability lmao
This why modern computer use binary number system. Binary version of this device wider for more digit but much shorter because only need 0 or 1. Also need switch for convert number become 2 complement for subtact number.
Multiply for binary number easyer too, only need shift and add depend if digit 0 ôr 1.
I like you speak your language and I can read subtitle. 😁
It's worth to pay internet when their is this kind of a content
Before electronic calculators, I used to dream of owning one of these, but they were just too expensive.
Excellent video,!
Very cool
I wonder what it would cost to build one today?
Great video. Thanks for sharing 👍🏼
@@TheRealStructurer It would cost a lot to build one. Not because of the materials, but the time it takes to make each part..
@@quasar-ed Yes I can imagine that. If I ever get the machines needed to make the parts, I'll make one 💪
Really nice video, good job
So when adding 16+14, how does does it know to go to 30 and not 20? are there multiple 10s bells?
Wonderful video. Subscribed. Bravo.
@@tim40gabby25 Thank you for subscribing..🤓🤓🤓
Please tell me where you got the technical drawings after which you modeled the components in 3D?
@@Alexandru_Narcis_Popescu There is a CAD model on the Curta page. I don't think there is any technical drawing on the internet. So the CAD model must be derived from measuring each component. If you watch my video part 1 and part 2, you will understand the working principle and then you can work out the design from that..hope this helps.
I can't imagine any company making such a device now. I feel like humanity has collectively gotten less intelligent since that time.
They are precise calculations. Come a accuracy is a can of worms, my friends.
I remember seeing it advertised in Scientific American. Wish I had bought one.
@@RobertClolery must be nostalgic.
Awesome.
I want one of these
Nice animations
I want one!!!
Really is a mechanical marvel
Now cover the Antikythera mechanism
Someday we will not know if a video is made by AI or not and that is a real shame that this will happen 😢.
Just to operate this mechanism, it is considered an engineer
1:18 When it says on the cap to open by turning it to the left, then why does it have a right-hand thread and being turned to the right
@@tymz-r-achangin yeah..I didn't pay attention to the case when I animated..