Decision Maker 2000

Have difficulty making decisions? Are life changing decisions better left to chance? Now with the Decision Maker 2000, it's easy! You and your friends can make important decisions without effort. Let the Decision Maker 2000 answer important questions like:
- Should I marry her/him?
- Is it benign or malignant?
- Does mommy love me?

The Decision Maker 2000 was designed by ChristheCarpenter. You can get the kit and schematic from Gadget Gangster. The kit is fifteen bucks, comes with everything and is pre-programmed. But, if you'd like to gather the parts yourself, you'll need the following.

Parts list

• 2x330 ohm resistors
• 1x10k ohm resistor
• 1x1M ohm resistor
• Gadget Gangster project board (boss board)
• 10 uF Cap
• 8 Pin Dip Socket
• 3xAA battery holder (and batteries)
• 1x Red LED
• 1x Green LED
• 22Ga Hookup wire
• And a programmed PICaxe 08M.

You'll also need a soldering iron, solder, and wire cutters. Build time is about 20 Minutes and is an easy build.

Here's a little video demonstration

How to Use It

The Decision Maker 2000 is a Decision Making assistant. Simply place your fingers on each of the 'decision probes' (the metal pads at [Pc] and [Pf]) and let the Decision Maker calculate the best decision. When you're confident the Decision Maker has had enough time to calculate, just lift your finger to see the result.

Grab the kit at Gadget Gangster and get started building! Go the next page for step 1.

Step 1: Socket and Resistors

Add the DIP socket so that Pin 1 goes in the hole marked PIC and the notch looks like the photo.

Add the 330 Ohm resistors (Orange - Orange - Brown) to the board
K25 - P25
K26 - P26

Comments

[blinkyblinky]

Nice.

[B_A_M]

Could you build this project with-out the "Gadget Gangster project board" or could you just use any old breadboard.

[Phil B]

This looks like a fun project, a sort of electronic Eight Ball or pair of dice. I do not know that I would make a serious life decision based on it. Decision making is often tough work. Sometimes I am able to make a decision by sleeping on it for about three weeks. By that time I know what I must do. Otherwise, it is a process of gathering as much information as possible and evaluating the pro's and the con's. Whatever decision is reached, there will almost always be some downside to the decision with which one must live into the future.

[Gadget Gangster]

How can you make a serious life decision without it? The Decision Maker utilizes a scientifically PROVEN method of making decisions. While everyone else is enjoying life, confident in their decisions, you're sleeping in for 3 weeks. Like a bear. I think the project is technically a coin-flipper because it only delivers 1 of 2 results. The 'Magic' 8 Ball often delivers ambiguous results ('Reply Hazy' or 'Ask Again Later'), and even the affirmative results can be unclear ('Very Doubtful' or 'Most Likely'), but the Decision Maker is CONFIDENT and doesn't require unreliable magic. The Decision Maker 2000 is the take-charge, magic-free decision making assistant.

[PKM]

... I totally agree with that. That said, I use my music player to make decisions for me. I called this "iTunes-o-mancy" back in 2004 but have since gone off iTunes so do it with whatever music player is handy.

To perform iTunes-o-mancy, open up your media player and put it on shuffle. Start a song, then pause it. Intone "Oh great and wise iTunes, " and then phrase an open-ended and general question in such a way that an arbitrary song title could plausibly be an answer.

"Should I fire Dave", "How many calories should I eat" and "Where are my car keys" are examples of unsuitable questions. Suitable questions more often take the form "How should I deal with XYZ" or "What should I do about XYZ".

---

Example session
Oh great and wise Windows Media Player, how shall I comment on this Instructable?"
Sim City - Glorious Future
Am I to understand that you wish me to tell nmcclana that they should keep making electronics Instructables?
Hundred Reasons - Harmony
Yes, the drum machine was good- more audio based Instructables?
Blackstreet - No Diggity
I'll take that as a "yes"- OK, will do

---

nmcclana, I predict a "glorious future" for you if you keep making cool electronics gadgets like this one and the drum machine.

Hmm, I'm hungry- oh great and wise Windows Media Player, what should I have for dinner?
Chemical Brothers - Galvanize

Of course, it doesn't always work...