Cocktails & Tunes
In response to the challenge of showcasing mechanics and physical interaction, we created a mechatronic bartender capable of serving multiple cocktails. Users engage with the machine by playing specific song sequences to select their desired drink. For example, a Rum and Coke is ordered with Beethoven's composition, while the Jaws theme signals a Cranberry & Vodka.
Dispenser Design
To minimize electronic components, we opted for mechanical systems in our design. Rather than using individual solenoids or peristaltic pumps for liquid release, we developed a "lazy susan" system. A stepper motor rotates the glass 60° per full rotation, aligning it with different flavors. A linear actuator then dispenses the specified amount of liquid. To stay within budget, we utilized tubes sourced from our university workshop material bin and reverse-engineered them into the design.
Valve Design
We wanted a mechanical approach to dispensing liquid in order to reduce the electronic components required (solenoids/pumps). To overcome the limited design space, we designed our own custom optic measures. The system used silicon o-rings to ensure it is dynamically sealed. Five 3D printing iterations were required to ensures a snug fit. The mechanism shown below also allows for the linear actuator to easily compress the spring loaded measure.
Keyboard Mechanism
The keyboard provided the initial touch-point for human interaction. We wanted to build a keyboard which was both tactile and responsive. Multiple design iterations were undertaken to find a mechanism that felt right. We use high density springs that had to be compressed in order to connect the resistors onto the charged copper plate.
Keyboard Circuit Design
Developing the electronics for a full piano octave was challenging due to the limited number of analogue inputs on our microcontroller. We to develop a custom circuit that was able to reliably interpret 12 separate keys whilst using only one analogue input. This consisted of using 12 resistors placed in series, when each separate resistors was pressed onto the charged copper plate, a unique analogue signal was produced. This was a very effective and reliable method of interpreting 12 separate signals using only one analogue pin.
