| Our team designed and built an entertaining
device with an Olympic theme for storing and retrieving coins. US pennies,
nickels, dimes, and quarters are stored in four tubular magazines located
on top of the device. In the Change mode, the user requests a dollar
amount in change via a push-button interface, and the computer calculates
both the number of coins of each type needed to complete the transaction,
and whether sufficient coins are available (via linear potentiometers
which measure the height of the coin stack). Electrical commands are then
be sent to each of four corresponding servomotor actuators, which eject
one coin per command for each the proper magazines. The ejected coins are
then propelled by a solenoid-driven lever down four ski jump-shaped ramps,
each of which are rigged with photo-interrupters that trigger multicolored
LEDs to blink on and off. Upon exiting the ramps, the coins follow a
ballistic trajectory and come to rest in a goal area. This goal area
contains an array of laser sensors that are used in the Game mode to
determine the longest distance traveled by individual coins. There is also
an ultrasonic sensor in place that captures the height of the coins
trajectory in mid-flight after being triggered by one of the ramp sensors.
Based on this information, the computer gives high scores out.
A picturte of our completed project | |
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