How did Clockwork work?

Instead of using electricity stored chemically in batteries, they relied on windup power and clockwork mechanisms. Clockwork has certainly stood the test of time: the earliest clockwork device, known as the Antikythera mechanism, dates from ancient Greece and is thought to be at least 2000 years old.

What is a wind up clock?

A key (or crown) you wind to add energy. A spiral spring to store the energy you add with the key. (Pendulum clocks store energy with weights that rise and fall, but other clocks and windup wristwatches use springs instead.) A set of gears through which the spring's energy is released.

How does A Clockwork tank work?

Something like a clockwork tank would use gears the opposite way so it can climb over obstacles: in this case, the wheels (or tracks) would take power from the spring, step down the speed, and generate more climbing force at the same time (like the low gears you'd use on a bicycle or a car for climbing a hill).

What does a clockwork machine do?

A set of gears through which the spring's energy is released. The gears control how quickly (or slowly) a clockwork machine can do things, but they also control how much force it can produce (for climbing inclines, perhaps). A mechanism the gears drive that makes the device do useful or interesting things.

How old is clockwork technology?

Clockwork has certainly stood the test of time: the earliest clockwork device, known as the Antikythera mechanism, dates from ancient Greece and is thought to be at least 2000 years old. Why has clockwork technology been such a firm favorite for so long? How exactly does it work? Let's take a closer look!

How does a clock work?

Clockwork means, literally, "working like a clock"—that much is obvious! But most modern clocks are electronic: powered by electricity and regulated by quartz crystals, they have relatively few moving parts. If you want to understand clockwork, you need to understand how clocks used to work in the days when you wound them with a key.