Sylvester Machine

A Sylvester machine is a mechanical linkage realizing a directe similarlity . If the user sketches a figure with one pen, the other pen draw a copy of it which is dilated and rotated. The dilation ratio and the rotation angle depend only on the linkage.

The Sylverster machine on the picture was made by Elena Willis during an internship under my supervision at the math department.

For other mechanical linkage see also the pantograph