The Machine of Answers

Intro: The Machine of Answers

Should you ask your boss for a raise? Call that cute guy you met at a party? Sell your stock?  Wouldn’t it be nice to have a handy method of handling some of life’s more pressing dilemmas?

This machine give you the answer to all you life pressing dilemmas. You need to concentrate on your question for 10 seconds, and when you feel the time is right, press the button, and the machine will give you the answer.

STEP 1: Bill of Materials

Let's start with the BOM:

PRINTED PART:
Print all the STL files:

1 x ButtonHolder-1005.stl
1 x logoPen-1005.stl
1 x ingranaggioGrande-1005.stl
1 x ingranaggioPiccolo-1005.stl
1 x FlapStaffaLibera-1005.stl
1 x FlapStaffaMotore-1005.stl
2 x NBottom-1005.stl
2 x Ntop-1005.stl
2 x FlapRuota-1005.stl

Threaded rod:

4 x M8x250  
3 x M8x150
1 x M8x180

Other:
100 x M8 nuts
100 x m8 washers
40 x iron wire diameter= 1 mm, length= 95 mm
2 x 608 "roller skate" bearings
6 x M3x15mm bolt

ELECTRONICS:
1 x ARDUINO UNO
1 x pololu stepper driver A4988
1 x stepper motor (eg. 35BYG104)
1 x Arduino Proto Shield
1 x LED
1 x push button 12x12 mm
1 x 10kOhm  resistor
1 x 320Ohm resistor

STEP 2: Build the Structure

Now you can build the structure.
In yellow the printed parts and in gray the threaded rod.

Fix the part to the threaded rod with washers and nuts.

STEP 3: Build the Rotor

To build the rotor use the 190 mm M8 threaded rod.
Put each component in oder and when finished close the nuts.

In the picture you can see:
- the gear in red
- the bearings in green
- the two weels with the holes for the iron wire 

You can choose not to use a nut between the gear and the wheel but 3 or 4 washers.

STEP 4: Adjust the Mechanical Behaviour

Put the small gear on the stepper, you can fix on the stepper with a M3 bolt.

Now put the mechanical and the stepper motor all togher and verify that:

1. the structure is stable and don't move on a plan surface  (use the nut to adjust angles).
2. the stepper, the gear and the rotor move freely (be aware not to let the motor wire be connected each other).

STEP 5: Build the Electronics

The mount the electronic I use an Arduino and an Arduino prototype shield.

In the prototype shield mount the stepper driver and the simple electronics for the led and the button.

Refer to the datasheets for details.

Mount the button holder and the button and led.

Connect motor, button e led to the shield.

STEP 6: Upload the Software

Download the software attached to this step.
Change the number of the pin using your configuration.
Add the acceleratedStepper library.

Upload the sketch on Arduino.

Now verify that motor, led and button are working fine.

STEP 7: Build the Cards

Prepare a 80x80 card with some nice answer.

You can take inspiration (not copy of course) from www.thebookofanswers.com .

One card contains the instruction of the use the machine; something like this:
" this is the machine of anwsers, think to your question, wait 10 seconds and press the button. The machine will gives you the answer"

Put the iron wired pieces on the rotor using the 40 hole and attach the cards with some transparent adhesive tape.

Comments

[elxala]

Sorry if I am a bit dumb, but where are the details for the electronics?

thanks, so cool project

[NadiaA15]

A very good information is provided so far thanks . i read on many sites but the content on this site is very good. i like to read about cranes and i have also many cranes actually i see many people did same thing he takes Crane On Rent from different company and run his business successfully . i like this thing.

[T0BY]

The answer is in the question.

[ace555]

its the magic 8-balls replacement

[Edgar]

Nice!
Went to my Blog:
http://faz-voce-mesmo.blogspot.pt/2013/02/ray-gun-o-filme-desenhar-objectos-em-3d.html

[liquidhandwash]

whoa that's way cool, do you think it possible to turn it into a clock?

[bissaorboea]

yes, the original Split Flap display technology was used for clock too.

[kibukun]

Didn't Marty McFly have one of those in BTTF?

[Tomdf]

This would be perfect for oblique strategy cards.

[Heef]

Awesome!

[Tomdf]

I don't see the sketch uploaded here. Am I missing it somewhere?

[bissaorboea]

Opss... A .zip file with the code is now uploaded.

[Tomdf]

Sweet, thanks

[Madmartigan95]

its a random rolodex :D
pretty sweet!

[GarthBock]

You could turn this into a Mutoscope. Just come up with a Steampunk and like case and you got it !

[vincent7520]

Don't need a machine !
"Should I ask for a raise ?" : YES !
"Should I call this cute Guy ?" : YES !
"Should I sell ?" : YES ?
"Should I buy a boat with the money and live in a Pacific paradise with the cute guy and without my boss ever after" ?" : YES !
Simple !…

Love your idea !
Thanks for sharing.

[Tomdf]

That is too cool! Nicework
That Arduino case in the pictures is pretty slick too, did you create it? I'd sure like to get my hands on those files.

[bissaorboea]

No, I find it on the internet, google "Arduino Cases by variador".

[Orngrimm]

Hahaha! Very cool idea!
I also like very much the little Gecko on top! Nice touch. :)