Social Question

imnottellingu's avatar

What is your favorite machine?

Asked by imnottellingu (493points) October 11th, 2014

I took an elective this year called Automation & Robotics. Recently my class had an assignment where we were told to make a PowerPoint on a machine that we had to choose. I’m not looking for a completed project I was just wondering what Machine you would choose. Please include why you would choose that particular one.

Observing members: 0 Composing members: 0

35 Answers

janbb's avatar

iPad mini. It gives me reading and the internet in a terrific size.

JLeslie's avatar

Hard to choose one. I’m going to say my dishwasher, but my washing machine is a close second.

My dishwasher, because I hate doing dishes by hand. More importantly, sometimes I don’t want to wash everything clean rig after preparing food or eating, and I can hide dirty dishes in it and that is completley acceptable. I wish I could do all my pots and pans in it. I wish there was a place on the dishwasher that had a brush to scrub when necessary. The new GE dishwashers have tall glass sprayers on the top shelf. Supposedly, they work well, although some reviews say the glasses are just as clean even in the spaces without the longer sprayer.

syz's avatar

My car. For the independence that it gives me, because it allows me more flexibility in where and when I work, and because it’s fun.

zenvelo's avatar

My bicycle.

ragingloli's avatar

NCC 1701 Enterprise E.

FireMadeFlesh's avatar

Any Italian V12.

canidmajor's avatar

Screwdriver. It has multiple uses, not restricted to driving screws.

LuckyGuy's avatar

I was recently introduced to the Crosman Benjamin Marauder PCP (pre-charged pneumatic) pellet rifle. Every component is engineered and matched perfectly with every other in both form and function.
It has a hand pump that will charge the chamber to 3000 psi, 200 bar! The check valves will maintain this pressure for weeks with no measurable decay. It will shoot a 1 gram lead pellet to just below Mach 1 – and do it almost silently.
The design is simple to draw and model yet elegant in its execution.
I’ve never seen anything like it.

johnpowell's avatar

This is not open to debate. The best is by far the peperoni slicing machines at this factory.

Go to about 1:58 into the video for AWESOME…

ucme's avatar

My sit on John Deere lawn mower, a cut above & lots of fun too.

sahID's avatar

@ragingloli Great to see I’m not the only Trekkie on here. yes the Enterprise E was a fascinatingly great machine (I wish it was real so I could take a tour of it.) However, sticking with this theme, I lean toward space station Seep Space 9, with its cast of quirky characters, its fascinating parade of visitors, its sheer size and its incredible complexity.

cookieman's avatar

The Millennium Falcon
or
My washer and dryer

Here2_4's avatar

@johnpowell – nice video. My favorite part was CHEESE!

I think my machine choice would be a robot. I have seen pictures of robot faces they are developing to mimic human facial expressions to seem more likeable. I would love to have a robot domestic around to do mundane chores. I’m not sure whether the facial expressions would be endearing for me, or creepy.

ragingloli's avatar

I think a robot’s face should be an lcd screen and all the facial expressions should be done with japanese emoticons.
^__^

talljasperman's avatar

ice cream machine or frosted mug machine from A&W. Also the delorian. Or the T.A.R.D.I .S.

reijinni's avatar

TV and computer.

ARE_you_kidding_me's avatar

The electric guitar.

Earthbound_Misfit's avatar

I’d have to say my laptop. I use it in so many parts of my life. Music, films, my work, information, interaction with other humans – the list is endless.

imnottellingu's avatar

Awesome answers so far. Cool video @johnpowell. I learned a lot.
Just to mention I did my report on DVD players he loved it.

fluthernutter's avatar

A Naef Gloggomobil!
Not exactly high-tech, but I love it!

Earthbound_Misfit's avatar

Oh, my camera. I love my camera. I can lose myself wandering around taking photographs.

Pachy's avatar

I love, love, love my SodaStream and every one of m Apple gadgets.

jonsblond's avatar

Camera would also be first on my list.

I was going to say a freezer because I can’t imagine a life without ice cream stored in my kitchen, but then I was reminded of my first love. My camera.

Pandora's avatar

My washing machine. I can do without a dryer or dishwasher but I could never do without a washing machine. I remember what it was like when I would help my mom with the wash and she did it by hand with a washboard. You waste so much water washing and rinsing individual items and some clothes had to be washed in cold water. It is very hard on the hands with the scrubbing and rinsing and wringing. Not to mention messy and back breaking and time consuming.

gondwanalon's avatar

My bicycle.

jerv's avatar

Personally, I think the newest addition to the Tesla lineup, the Model S P85D. Autopilot, 0–60 in 3.2 seconds (quicker than many sportscars), and otherwise chock full of technology that will probably trickle down to the rest of the automotive world the way pneumatic tires and fuel injection have.

Bill1939's avatar

The internet. The ability to share ideas with people around the world and for many individuals to collaboratively contribute to research through their efforts to solve specific aspects of projects such as astronomy, mathematics, physics and health will accelerate the acquisition of knowledge.

CWOTUS's avatar

I was going to say the inclined plane and the wheel, but maybe I’ll have to rethink that.

LuckyGuy's avatar

I like the pellet gun project because it is completely human powered, and all the physics are well understood and are simple to calculate and model. How much kinetic energy does a one gram pellet moving at Mach 1 contain? mv2. If the barrel is 60 cm long and the pellet accelerates from zero to Mach 1 in that distance what is its acceleration? v2 =2as. How long is the pellet in the barrel? s=½ at^2 . Given that acceleration and a 1 gram pellet, what is the average force exerted on the pellet? F=ma. Given that force over the cross section of a .22 pellet what is the pressure in the tube? Does that match the 3000 psi in the pellet gun’s precharged pneumatic chamber? Theoretically how many shots can the gun deliver on one charge?
Now let’s consider the mechanics and motion. What type of check valve will safely store 3000 psi with “no” leakage? What kind of piston can handle those high forces for thousands of shots? And so on….

If this is a team the subgroups can investigate each area as deeply as they like and still have the results all fit together nicely into one coherent presentation.

A pellet gun might not be politically correct but it is an engineering marvel and definitely a worthy machine.

(I was so impressed with the device I actually bought one! It’s great!)

LuckyGuy's avatar

Arrgh too late to edit. I was thinking faster than I could type Kinetic energy is ½ mv2. Acceleration is v2=2as .

KNOWITALL's avatar

DEfinaely washing machine, car is second, cell third. I also helped mom with a ringer washer, I’m out.

Bill1939's avatar

@RealEyesRealizeRealLies access to Illudium Q-36 Explosive Space Modulator is denied.

SecondHandStoke's avatar

Bicycle:

1991 Eddy Merckx Corsa frame: Lugged Columbus SL double butted seamless chrome-molybdenum tubing. Campagnolo dropouts, Silva brake bridge, bottom bracket and fork crown. Faema livery.

2005+ Cambagnolo Record Ergo components: 10 (20) speed. 11–21 tooth rear, 39–53 tooth front. Ferrari manufactured carbon fiber crank option. Titanium-Steel cogset option.

DTSwiss custom wheelset: DTSwiss RR1.1 rims. DTSwiss stainless steel spokes. Aluminum spoke nipples. Campagnolo Record hubs. 32 spoke rear, 28 spoke front. Michelin Pro Race kevlar belted slick dual compound tires.

Selle Italia Flite Titanium saddle, perforated white leather. Custom Thomson ovalized tubing infinite adjust seatpost.

Time Titanuim Magnesium pedals.

TTT 20CM quill stem. TTT 440 Merckx deep drop handlebar.

Cinelli Cork Ribbon handlebar tape. Campagnolo end plugs.

Various aftermarket aluminum and titanium hardware.

Vortex and NitzerEbb decals.

Answer this question

Login

or

Join

to answer.
Your answer will be saved while you login or join.

Have a question? Ask Fluther!

What do you know more about?
or
Knowledge Networking @ Fluther