Back in my high school Basic Electronics class (more then 30 years ago, now) we had to draw the schematics for electronics projects of our choosing. I tended to specialize in "useless machines", much to my instructor's befuddlement.
My favorite was the "solar-powered nightlight", which was a solar panel wired directly to a lightbulb.
After seeing a video of such a machine I just had to have one of my own. Normal 0 According to Wikipedia, Claude E. Shannon built the first “Ultimate Machine” based on an idea by Marvin Minsky.
Very fun in that it appears to be alive in some way and allows the user to project feelings/emotions onto it.
To me, it looks like the machine is bothered when the user flips the switch and wants to be left alone. Of course, that's ridiculous, but that's the fun of the machine.
I really like this thing, but I don't see why it has to be even this complex. Although since the servo is powered in both directions, the machine will work even when upside down.
A simpler alternative would have a STSP switch with a battery and motor. When you turn the switch on the motor raises the arm and switches itself off, a weight on the arm could lower it. Then again my version wouldn't work in zero gravity.
I can imagine one with a crank and a flywheel, where pumping enough energy into the flywheel mechanically activates a hand that cranks in the opposite direction to discharge the potential...
My favorite was the "solar-powered nightlight", which was a solar panel wired directly to a lightbulb.