Token Dispense Vending Machine

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akshayru
 
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Token Dispense Vending Machine

Post by akshayru »

Hello,
I am new to Arduino, i did some small project so far and want build something for kids. I want make Vending machine which will dispense N number of Pringle Chips or Candy from can. Basically kids will press quantity button and the Vending Machine should drop those many candy or chips. I can do program part for quantity but didn't find anything how to count chips or candy and drop them or push them.

My Idea - Use servo motor and then put pringle can reverse, now when pushed motor will rotate one time and drop that chips. But the problem is its not actual counting, its just guiess that it will drop one only.

Any other ideas or board i can use for this project.

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rpiloverbd
 
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Re: Token Dispense Vending Machine

Post by rpiloverbd »

Actually, it's not that easy. Pringle chips are very thin. Even when we eat these chips from a can, sometimes it becomes hard to pick one, right? I didn't do this project ever. But I think, you'll need more multiple IR sensors placed at the mouth of the can. Arduino UNO is enough to handle such projects. Board is not the problem. Quantity measurement is the main challenge. If you find that IR sensors are not giving good results, you may have to shift to Raspberry pi using TensorFlow Lite Object Recognition.

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akshayru
 
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Re: Token Dispense Vending Machine

Post by akshayru »

Sorry it was my bad I said Pringles, it's actually heavy banana chips, almost size of cent. Can you give me some idea if I can use servo motor and it can push or make those N number of rounds to drop those banana chips or coins.

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adafruit_support_bill
 
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Re: Token Dispense Vending Machine

Post by adafruit_support_bill »

Pringles would definitely be a challenge due to their shape and the way they nest. If your banana chips stack neatly like coins, it should be possible to use a servo to push them out one at a time.

You could use a vertical tube with a horizontal slot in the bottom. The diameter of the tube should be just a bit larger than your chips. The slot should be just a little larger than the thickness of the chips. If you load the banana chips into the tube, you can use the arm of the servo to push the bottom chip out through the slot. Then the rest of the chips will slide down the tube and you can repeat the operation with the next chip in the stack.

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akshayru
 
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Re: Token Dispense Vending Machine

Post by akshayru »

Thanks, that's what I was thinking, is there any demo project which I can refer.

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adafruit_support_bill
 
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Re: Token Dispense Vending Machine

Post by adafruit_support_bill »

Here is one tutorial for a coin dispenser.
https://create.arduino.cc/projecthub/Ne ... ser-d44c32

And here is a design with some more detailed drawings:
https://forum.arduino.cc/t/petty-coin-b ... use/120041

This is a more complicated approach using helical coils - similar to what is used to dispense products in vending machines:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AFCKvt3L8xY

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akshayru
 
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Re: Token Dispense Vending Machine

Post by akshayru »

Thanks Appreciate your quick response, I did look at the first option and it is exactly what I want, but I didn't find details where that motor trying to push the coin out. Plus for what
IR receiver 3pin is used, didn't find details in the diagram. The second link you shared is the best approach too, but do I have to use a servo motor or something else for that mechanism. Plus is it feasible for let's say 20 times going back and front?

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adafruit_support_bill
 
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Re: Token Dispense Vending Machine

Post by adafruit_support_bill »

The project in the first link is using a small servo (an SG90) to push out the coins. But it is not clear in the photos or text exactly how the servo fits into the system.

The general design shown in the second link should work well for what you want to do. You could use a servo with a piece of stiff wire connecting the servo arm to the slider. It would be relatively simple to program that to dispense items repeatedly.

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akshayru
 
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Re: Token Dispense Vending Machine

Post by akshayru »

Thanks, I will give try, How do we figure out if there are no coins left? Should I use weight or are there any sensors I should use?

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adafruit_support_bill
 
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Re: Token Dispense Vending Machine

Post by adafruit_support_bill »

You could use something like a reflective IR sensor: https://www.adafruit.com/product/2349
This will detect an nearby object in the range of 2-10mm. These sensors work best with light colored objects since the IR needs to reflect from them.

If the objects you are dispensing are too dark for the reflective sensor, you could use a break-beam sensor. Put the emitter on one side of the tube and the receiver on the other side. It will detect if something is blocking the beam.
https://www.adafruit.com/product/2167

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