Such devices seem to come in two flavors: indirect and direct. Indirect are those where a human compresses a spring and then the expanding spring actually runs the device. Or humans could create potential energy by hand some other way (pulling up on a weight, for example) which then powers the device. Wind-up watches, grandfather clocks, and various other clock-work devices fall into the indirect human-powered devices.
Direct are those where there’s no intermediate potential energy storage. Bicycles are a good example of this. Also calculators and cash registers (the kind you have to pull a lever after pressing the keys).
Anyone know of any particularly complex examples of these two kinds? Some especially complicated watch or other clockwork mechanism? Or perhaps a very complex card sorter where you have to turn a handle to run it? Or perhaps some other device I haven’t thought of?
Note: I’m not interested in cases where the potential energy is electricity stored in a battery. So wind up radios and computers are right out.
The hand cranked Difference Engine Number 2 has 8000 parts and was designed by Charles Babbage in 1847-1849 and was not completed until 2002. The Difference Engine Number 1 had over 25000 parts but was never built. I don’t know if that is anywhere close to the record, but it deserves mention.
At first, I thought the Jacquard loom would have been the most complex directly human powered device, but I forgot that a Babbage Engine was actually built a few years ago. I’d imagine that would be the most complex direct-powered device.
As for indirect-powered devices, my bet is on an automatic watch of some sort that tracks moon phases and dates, with a chronograph. Does anyone know how many moving parts such a timepiece might have?
A watch with just chronograph, date and moon phase is simple in comparison with this. They run a couple of hundred parts. The big ticket items in this watch are repeater (it chimes believe it or not) and the tourbillion escapement.