Arduino DYI: Vending Machine

A Vending Machine Powered by Arduino

 The purpose of this blog post is to review an Arduino-based DIY project. For this assignment, I have chosen to critically analyze A Vending Machine Powered by Arduino, made by Sevenmojoe January 15^th, 2017.  You can follow the author's instructions using this link: https://www.hackster.io/Sevenmojoe/snacks-vending-machine-powered-by-arduino-f03296?offset=23&ref=channel&ref_id=424_trending_featured__. 

What is it?

This DIY project creates a snack vending machine that utilizes a variety of sensors and push buttons- which will later be explored- to dispense a snack if and when a coin is inserted.  

(S. 2017)

Application to Class Readings

While this project is far more complex than anything we learnt in class, the basic theoretical concepts were derived from our fundamental content.  We learned a lot of the components that the author utilizes in a much more basic context during our labs. To exemplify the use of lights, sensors and of corse an Arduino board. Comparing this project with class readings, however, was a little more complex- and involved a fair amount of stretching out the meaning of the intended content. Author Tarleton Gillespie notes that the more critical issue with enforcing copyright law is to control how one person will use something that they are given or that they purchase (Gillsepie 2006). While our discussion here has nothing to do with copyright infringement like Gillespie's paper explores, the idea that you cannot control how someone will use their piece of equipment opens up an interesting discussion. The intended use of the DIY project was to create a vending machine using Arduino-it is difficult to determine if the intended use is what it will, in fact, be used for. Anyone can take the steps outlined by Sevenmojoe and create something similar, but not what he has designed his instructions for. Or perhaps someone is given this piece of equipment and they later take all the pieces apart in order to use certain components for another project. Whatever the case is, all DIY projects are meant to be a creative exploration and are not designed to be used in a certain way. Just to open up minds to new techniques and possibilities with code and infrastructure. 

Required Components

This more complex project requires the use of many unique sensors, as well as cheaper components that can be acquired at a local part store. The following list is what the author, Sevenmojoe used to create their DIY.

Hardware:

• ·      Arduino UNO & Genuino UNO
• ·      Sensor Shield
• ·      DC Motor 6V include the wheel
• ·      Infrared (reflective) or line follower sensor – used for product detection
• ·      Proximity (electromagnetic) sensor, used for coin senor number 1
• ·      Distance Interrupter (infrared/optocoupler) sensor, used for coin sensor number 2
• ·      Power supply 6V for DC motor
• ·      4 switch Relay
• ·      LCD (Nokia 5110 LCD)
• ·      LED (generic)
• ·      Push Button (Yellow, Green and Red)

Software Apps:

•       Arduino IDE
•       Solidworks- or any other 3D model maker

(S. 2017)

Out of this list of components, I was pleasantly surprised that I knew more of them than I thought. Even the pieces I did not think I knew, once they were further researched, I discovered I was already aware of them- and in fact, in some cases I had even worked with them in labs. With the few components I was not familiar with, I decided it would be best to further explore them.

Relay

These are switches designed to open and close circuits both electronically and electromechanically. They can also be used as amplifiers, by converting small currents into larger ones (Woodford 2015). In this DIY it was used in the coin slot. Although it is not described, I am assuming that once the coin is inserted it would activate the coils to dispense the snack. Therefore using the switching aspect of relays, not an amplifier. 

Sensor Sheild 

This component is actually built into many Arduino Boards. With the presence of a sensor shield in your Arduino, you will be able to connect many input and output devices (Arduino-Info 2017).  I assume this will help with the usability of the components and not so much the vending machine itself. However, I cannot be sure if this shield has any external affects to the project. 

Reflection

After the analysis of this DIY project, I realized that these seemingly complex assignments are built off of our fundamental knowledge. Doing this analysis has made me more comfortable with the final project. As the author broke down all of the steps with his work, I realized that this "big" assignment in our class is just a combination of a lot of smaller components. For example, my group is making a music box. One by one we will be doing things such as adding in sensors, audio and lights. These are all components we have learned prior from labs- but by compiling them together we will be able to create something more substantial. 

Work Cited 

Gillespie, T. (2006). Designed to ‘effectively frustrate’: copyright, technology and the agency of users. New Media & Society, 8(4), 651-669. doi:10.1177/1461444806065662


S. (2017, January 15). Snacks Vending Machine powered by Arduino. Retrieved March 13, 2017, from https://www.hackster.io/Sevenmojoe/snacks-vending-machine-powered-by-arduino-f03296?offset=23&ref=channel&ref_id=424_trending_featured__



SensorShield. (n.d.). Retrieved March 12, 2017, from https://arduino-info.wikispaces.com/SensorShield

Woodford, C. (2015, May 08). How do relays work? Retrieved March 12, 2017, from  http://www.explainthatstuff.com/howrelayswork.html