Serv O'Beer With IPhone for the Perfect Pour

With New Years fast approaching, I wanted to make a project that allows for the perfect pour and take out all of that physical work. Using Construx as the mechanical platform, a servo driving the action, and ioBridge controlling the system, I was able to achieve the perfect pour controlled with the turning of my iPhone (using the accelerometer feedback).

Step 1: Construct Contrux Platform

Using Construx, create a platform that will hold the weight of a bottle of beer (soda works, but does not have the same aftereffect).

Step 2: Enclose Servo

Enclose servo to keep the servo from turning as it torques the beer holder.

Step 3: Perform "Dry" Run

While near the kitchen sink perform a "dry" run with water (no beer was harmed during the testing) and find the pivot points.

Step 4: Connect and Calibrate Servos

Connect the servo to the ioBridge servo module. Calibrate using the module page to find the positions of the servo for the start of the pour and the end of the pour. You will have to readjust positions when the full weight of the bottle and beer are in the housing. Careful not to push the servo past its limits.

Step 5: Setup HTML and JavaScript

On an empty HTML file, copy the servo widgets into the file. Add the orientation code from ioBridge's iTurn library to allow the iPhone to cause the widgets to execute depending on the orientation of the iPhone. I trigger the widget at 15 degrees off vertical to start the servo pouring. I finish the pour at -90 degrees. If I turn the phone in the opposite direction the Serv O'Beer resets its position.

Step 6: Perform Calibration of Servo Positions and Speed

Under the full weight of a bottle of "water" (no beer wasting is my credo) recalibrate the positions and servo speed. Go ahead and do a test pour. I had some towels handy, because the first run threw water all over the desk.

Step 7: Pour Beer (It's Go Time)

It's time for the perfect pour. Load up a new bottle of beer (or another tasty beverage of your choosing). Make sure to enjoy the perfect pour with Serv O'Beer after turning your iPhone.

Comments

[tjfagan]

Great Project!

I have a few questions. I would like to control a robot with an IPhone. I know very little about robots or iphone apps. Is this possible using the IO bridge, and if so can you shead some light onto how I can achieve this?

Thanks in advance,

Terence

[PyroManiac96]

Lol i saw this in my popular science magazine, gotta make one of these :P

[dknutson]

Great! I saw your story in PopSci, and had to see this. Im going to try this with my iPod touch 2G..

[t0mbutler]

good stuff, you should build a stand to angle the empty glass, that way you wont have a glass of foam but a real beer instead

[polymythic]

A great suggestion, and again the "perfect pour" it is not. A bit tongue-in-cheek there. Once my other servos get freed up from other projects, I just may have to implement that scheme and virtually pour you a cold one.

[eranox]

Irrelevant to the project, but thank you for drinking real beer. Anyway, this is awesome. I'm sure Steve Jobs and Tim Wozniak are in a basement in an undisclosed location weeping softly. If I ever perfect my Lego Mindstorms get-me-a-beer-o-tron 6000, we're going to have to compare notes.

[polymythic]

I think you'll be able to do a great job with Legos. I saw another post with a very smooth pouring rig. I have also done some more tinkering to get mine improved a bit. Perhaps you can up the ante with a 40 oz. pouring machine? Yes, we'll have to pour a little out too. Good luck!

[mytearsrblood]

pour***lol misspelled XD

[mytearsrblood]

i tried to teach my dog to poor my beer! it didn't work at all.... lol

[AnarchistAsian]

Hey, what's with the target in the backround?

[polymythic]

Another Construx project I am working on at the moment. Just trying to make good use of a giant bin I had as a kid!

[AnarchistAsian]

ha ha, ok i see...

[SWANKIM]

I'd say that this is a very very creative project that i cant wait to try..Do u have any expertise in robotics coz i am quite fascinated by Physics but at the moment lack some expertise in several fields..

[polymythic]

I took a robotics course in college, but playing with Construx as a kid was the real classroom. With mechanical, like anything else, just guess and test. Had to with the weight of the bottle as well.

[polymythic]

Yeah, I have a couple arduinos (which are cool if you don't have one you should check 'em out) and an IO Bridge. Lots of cool stuff you can do. Good luck and I'll look forward to your posts.

[omnibot]

*lol* Has anyone ever told you you have way to much free time?

[guitarman63mm]

Quite a bit of head on that! I would definitely find a way to tilt the glass, maybe make the mechanism closer to minimize the amount of air introduced?

[whatsisface]

Cool stuff! Looks a little foamy though, maybe tilt the glass?

[bumpus]

Its got more head than a prostitute.

[AnarchistAsian]

tehehehehehehehhehehahahahahahahahahahhaha