Nintendo Knitting Machine..

[mc_lovin]

The randomest Nintendo invention ever?  I figured I would post it here..  Apparently it has made news across the internet in the past day or two:

http://ca.ign.com/articles/2012/08/31/nintendo-almost-made-a-knitting-add-on-for-nes
http://www.shacknews.com/article/75542/nintendo-knitting-machine-prototyped-during-nes-era
http://kotaku.com/5939210/this-long+lost-nintendo-knitting-machine-would-have-let-you-make-sweaters-with-your-nes

Wouldn't it be cool if you could play Contra, and have an 8-bit sweater print out on the same device? 

note: this contra sweater picture is pretty much proven to be a fake,
but now with an NES knitting machine it makes a great combo!

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[Matthew N. Wright]

Fuck you for getting my hopes up that you were actually selling this. 

[ElectricMucus]

I don't know what to say except:

[ColdHardMetal]

I bet you could totally do that. My mom has had knitting machines like that hooked up to computers for probably the last 20 years. An NES would have the horsepower for sure.

edit: Probably closer to 30 now that I really think about. (How the f@#$ did that happen!!??)

[myrkul]

That is definitely the strangest peripheral for the original NES I have ever seen.

Of course, the dildo add-ons for the Wii-mote beat it, (heh) but... yeah.

[ElectricMucus]

Are there maybe some detailed photos of the machine? With modern prototyping tools it should be quite possible to reproduce it.

usb port, svg import and some wizard for sweaters, socks and beanies.  That's actually something that would sell, methinks

[ElectricMucus]

I just looked it up what it actually was supposed to be.

That thing wasn't a real production machine in a robotic sense. There was no servo mechanism and you had to move the toolhead by hand back and forth, the controller, as seen in the picture was supposed to be used for visual feedback on what to do and when.
Thanks anyway since this now goes on my list of planned and some day hopefully attempted projects

[ColdHardMetal]

I just looked it up what it actually was supposed to be.

That thing wasn't a real production machine in a robotic sense. There was no servo mechanism and you had to move the toolhead by hand back and forth, the controller, as seen in the picture was supposed to be used for visual feedback on what to do and when.
Thanks anyway since this now goes on my list of planned and some day hopefully attempted projects

The make automatic knitting machines that only require you to hook up the yarn skeins (is maybe the right word) and pumps out the sections of whatever you're making on its own according to the pattern you input, via computer or punch card or whatever. The sections then need to be assembled by hand.

[repentance]

Didn't even realise you could still get knitting machines.  I haven't seen one in a couple of decades (not even at garage sales).

[myrkul]

I just looked it up what it actually was supposed to be.

That thing wasn't a real production machine in a robotic sense. There was no servo mechanism and you had to move the toolhead by hand back and forth, the controller, as seen in the picture was supposed to be used for visual feedback on what to do and when.
Thanks anyway since this now goes on my list of planned and some day hopefully attempted projects

Nintendo Knitting Jig 

[ColdHardMetal]

Didn't even realise you could still get knitting machines.  I haven't seen one in a couple of decades (not even at garage sales).

I've only ever seen them in my parent's basement lol.

[ElectricMucus]

I just looked it up what it actually was supposed to be.

That thing wasn't a real production machine in a robotic sense. There was no servo mechanism and you had to move the toolhead by hand back and forth, the controller, as seen in the picture was supposed to be used for visual feedback on what to do and when.
Thanks anyway since this now goes on my list of planned and some day hopefully attempted projects

The make automatic knitting machines that only require you to hook up the yarn skeins (is maybe the right word) and pumps out the sections of whatever you're making on its own according to the pattern you input, via computer or punch card or whatever. The sections then need to be assembled by hand.

Yes that's what I've been figuring.

My expectations are somewhat higher than whats actually around: CMYK+W (5 yarns) plus relief graphic design stitches and we are talking. I'd settle for the same thing without stitches, but as far as I can tell that doesn't actually exist yet so my ambitions are probably one or two notches too high...

A Mandelbrot zoom knitted into a sweater ...nerdgasm  

[repentance]

A Mandelbrot zoom knitted into a sweater ...nerdgasm.

Someone in I know cross-stitched this fractal pattern (it's a rug).  I'll suggest a more ambitious Mandelbrot zoom for the next project.

I'd like an Escher anything knitted into a jumper.

[swissmate]

Sooo where can I get a Contra old school sweater?

[paraipan]

Sooo where can I get a Contra old school sweater?

+1 

[mc_lovin]

Sooo where can I get a Contra old school sweater?

+1 

We need a knitting machine or a granny!

Might be illegal to reproduce, not sure, but maybe we get a bulk order of them made up in China, sell'm over here, profit.

I'd buy one!