Sequential Timer Programmer developed and built by Dr Jack Tait, Clyro, Herefordshire, England, 2012

This is the first in a group of 4 sequential timers that are the ‘brains’ of some of Jack Tait’s analogue drawing machines. In this one, a series of switches programmed different lengths of output time. The motors were plugged into the lower brown X and Y sockets in different arrays while the coloured sockets were used to vary the type of programme sent to the X or Y axes.

Timers are the machines’ programmers that send variable time pulses to the different machine motors. When Tait's machines are outfitted with timers, the set up functions as an analogue computer.

Tait explains: ‘Programming also implies the potential of repeatability. This brings any such machine into the category of ‘design tool’ able to explore a coherent set of ideas'