In 1961, an IBM 704 at Bell Labs was programmed to 'sing' "Daisy Bell" in the earliest demonstration of computer speech synthesis. Here’s a video of the 704 (model name and year are not correctly attributed in the video).
Science fiction author Arthur C. Clarke witnessed the IBM 704 demonstration and referenced it in the 1968 novel and film 2001: A Space Odyssey, in which the HAL 9000 computer sings "Daisy Bell" during its gradual deactivation. Here is the full scene from the movie!
So, this has become a classic computer/robotic challenge and an allusion to the field's rich history. My pal, Eric Ostendorff (erco), made his homage with a Parallax Boe-Bot using a RoboVoice chip in 2012. Here is his video.
Therefore, standing on the shoulders of giants, here is the Parallax S3 playing Daisy Bell. BlocklyProp code is here - http://blockly.parallax.com/blockly/editor/blocklyc.jsp?project=28082
Sometimes, a simple experiment or programming challenge is way more than it appears. Not only is it fun, it pays tribute to those who traveled this way before (a lesson in the lesson). It is a hat-tip to our heroes.
Sources:
- Daisy Bell - Wikipedia - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daisy_Bell
- Why Did Hal Sing ‘Daisy’?, by Nicholos Wethington - Universe Today - https://www.universetoday.com/44482/why-did-hal-sing-daisy/
1 comment:
I'm honored to be included. But my BoeBot really should have done a Figure 8!
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