Turing Tumble


Turing Tumble is a game and demonstration of logic gates via mechanical computer. Named after Alan Turing, the game itself is advertised as Turing complete, and can duplicate the processes of any computer whatsoever if the game field were sufficiently large. It is also PSPACE complete by the circuit value problem, and in its method of operation has implications for nanotechnology.
Although it resembles a pachinko machine in its aesthetic use of gravity-fed metal balls, it is primarily a teaching device in the fundamentals of logic-cum-computer programming, and as such is an example of gamification. The framing device in the included comic book features an astronaut who must solve fifty increasingly difficult logic problems which illustrate the fundamentals of computer programming. The impetus of the puzzle itself was the frustration of the programmer and chemistry professor Paul Boswell, then at the University of Minnesota, at the lack of computing prowess of other scientists which was necessary for their own projects; he was already well known for programming complex games for Texas Instruments computers. They were also inspired by the Digi-Comp II, a precursor from the late 1960s.

Construction

A turning tumble machine has the following parts:
Critically it has received high praise for its concept and execution, albeit with some caveats.
The computing game has won the Parents' Choice Gold Award, and won in the category Best Toys of the Year 2018 under the aegis American Specialty Toy Retailing Association. It is also STEMI approved.