Maywa Denki president Nobumichi Tosa has created a video detailing the inner workings of the manually-operated WAHHA GO GO laughing machine.
+ Video
According to the video, WAHHA GO GO is activated by spinning the torso-mounted metal disk (an optional crank arm can be used for greater speed). The disk's rotational energy is transferred to the machine's left and right arms via a gear assembly in the lower back. As the arms rotate, the accordion-like lungs expand upward, drawing in air that is then exhaled through the machine's artificial vocal cords.
Another set of gear wheels in the spine transfers some of the spinning disk's rotational energy to the head assembly, which includes a pair of tiny arms that stretch and relax WAHHA GO GO's artificial vocal cords (thus regulating the pitch), as well as an arm connected to a valve that controls the flow of air from the lungs. This arm also opens and closes the mouth, which alters the so-called "formant characteristics" (resonant frequency) of the laugh, producing the "wa" and "ha" sounds.
By incorporating a series of mechanisms that work together to control the pitch, resonant frequency, and amount of air supplied to the artificial vocal cords, WAHHA GO GO is able to produce an uncanny human-like laugh.
[Link: YouTube]
Kenneth H.
This WAHHA GO GO laughing machine kind of creeps me out. I can just see it sitting in Sebastian's building in Blade Runner laughing ad naseum. WAH HAAaaaaa go go. I guess its a step forward that roboticians can replicate a human laugh...
[]Armandeus
I found this a few days ago, and although it's creepy, I love it. It's become a running gag at my house. I think it sounds more like "eee, hee, hee, hee" than wa ha ha, though. The voice also reminds me of Uncle Remus from Disney's Song of the South. I want to go see Meiwa Denki's next exhibition, whenever they have one. I suggest you check out the other videos linked to on the YouTube page. There's lots of other stuff, including music made by this group, and more weird and wonderful nonsense machines.
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