This week we started with some 3D modelling of the playboard itself and also the mechanism that will place the coins where the computer tells it to do. The board has 7 columns and 6 rows just like the original game. It also has 2 feet to stand on, these have been dimensioned so that the coins can fall out of the game if it is finished without getting stuck.

The mechanism to drop the coins will be positioned above the board. This mechanism will consist of:

• A spindle that will be turned by a stepper motor;
• A (3D-printed) funnel to flip the stacked, horizontal coins to vertical;
• A servomotor with a stick that pushes the coin in the funnel (a linear actuator is also possible for this task);
• A tube to stack the coins in;
• Two wooden legs to give the mechanism it’s height.

The biggest disadvantage of this mechanism is that it might be slow because of the spindle. The stepper motor has to do a lot of rotations to move the funnel from left to right. The advantage is that the use of a spindle is stable and has the precision to drop the coins in the playboard in the correct place.