Dr. Nim

[Jerry Rutherford]

I find this very interesting... and I'm thinking, something quite build-able.

John Godfrey, an inventor, created the game Dr. Nim in the early to mid 1960's. Nim was a computer program that i remember from my early TRS-80 days... the game consisted of having 12 marbles... you could drop 1, 2, or 3 at a time... the computer also making that selection... the one with the last marble wins. This version was designed as a physical computer... mechanically determining the play of the game. RE: http://www.evilmadscientist.com/2016/dr-nim-prototypes/

This video will really do it justice: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9KABcmczPdg

I found a couple of good detail images like this: http://revue.sesamath.net/IMG/png/brevet_dr_nim.png

And now I am wondering... since we have CNC capability... can we make one from MDF?

I think it would be a great addition to the "stuff" we bring on The Robot Group events... as well as a great conversation piece for the ATX Hackerspace.

If you dig through this page: http://revue.sesamath.net/spip.php?article777 there ia all the strategy, math, etc. Near the end, there is a video that more closely shows the workings of the machine. The marbles are stopped by a small curb that they are barely unable to roll over... the button on the bottom is connected to a lever which gives a marble there mechanical advantage, just enough to tip the marble above over the curb and send it rolling.

Essentially, six (6) moving parts and the base of the game. Looking up the patent... there are even more complex variations: http://www.google.com/patents/US3390471

I digress... after a bit more hunting... I found a video of the original prototype in use... showing detail of the lever: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X_IUoFDMhZ8

One is currently for sale: http://www.ebay.com/itm/RARE-Vintage-1965-The-Amazing-DR-NIM-Computer-Game-E-S-R-/311644905699

So... what do you think? I'm wondering about an Up-Scale to golf-ball size... thoughts?

Jerry

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