After becoming familiar with the Liquid Crystal Display, we coded it to light up with the words "Pinball Machine" printed.

A pinball launcher's purpose is launching the ball into the games. its main component is a spring with a rod in the middle of it The spring is stretched back and has the tension released so it will propel forward, sending the ball hurdling into the game.

The purpose of the two flippers is to send the ball back into the game once it comes down the center. Their main mechanical component is the rapid turning controlled by a button on either side. 

Ball guides with shooters are located on the sides close to the flippers and serve to take the pinballs flying at them in the opposite direction. They function because when a pinball hits a rubber band, two conductive pieces of metal come together to keep the ball going through. The presence of the rubber band allows the bumper to redirect the force in an opposite, like some kind of motion mirror.

The bumpers are located at the back of a pinball machine. They serve to add a touch of unpredictability to any game, as when a ball gets to that zone, the system bumps it around so that the ball comes out of a different place. These function in a variety of ways, from rubber bands and metal similar to ball guides, to magnets and rubber. Some of these bumpers have sensors that can give points when they are hit.

The start button serves to get the entirety of the game going. It is a button connected to a circuit board on the inside, and pressing it causes the board to begin running the programs coded into it. 

After doing research, we started to code the initial idea of the pinball machine: an increase in points and a decrease in balls. The first way that we tested this methodology was by making the LCD screen respond to buttons. 

I am beginning the research for the targets in my pinball machine. In order to do this, I must go through the iterative design process to fully produce an idea. 

For our research, I need to understand what goes into actually designing a reactive target, as in what parts are necessary to be 3D-printed. It is also necessary to look at many target designs to determine whether some parts must be put together for the best and most durable target, and what method of adhesion (nails, glue, soldering) is best. Other important questions include where sensors go, and how I can use and change the slope in certain places to better interact with the ball projectile that will hit it. It is also important to consider. 

For the idea development phase, it might require us to have drawings done from different angles of the same design, improving them with critiques from our teachers and peer. 

The next phase, prototyping, would involve us designing what we drew in CAD and fabricating for the first time in the real-world, adjusting the settings if needed.

For the testing phase, once we have a functional target made, it might be a good idea to flick on the sensors with our fingers to check durability, since our fingers have just as much if not more force than the balls that will hit the target. Until the target can withstand multiple intentionally hard flicks of our fingers, we will do iterations that include things like support at the sensor, the inclusion of stoppers, and more depending on problems that arise. With these steps in place, we should have a fully functioning target for our pinball machine!

For my first design, I modeled my target after the rudimentary version we were provided, with a few personalizations and adjustments. I made side pieces equal in height to the central main piece (resembling a text message box). My thought process was that the ball would hit the large square and the triangle piece, smaller than the gap between the two sides, would touch the sensor at the bottom. 

In after seeing the physical ramifications of the first design, I made adjustments in the first iteration. Firstly, I noticed that it was hard to get my design to pivot with longer side pieces, so I adjusted their heights to 3.7 centimeters instead of the 7 centimeters of the front piece. Additionally, I added holes to assist with the pivot on each of the side pieces. Finally, I created a back piece with holes for my switch.

I printed out this new design with cardboard and noticed that the improvements I made with the back piece were successful. However, the holes on the side were too small and in the wrong places to be used as the pivot. I needed to go back to the drawing board.

In this design I thought to go back to the long side pieces from design 1. I also reduced the width of the straight part of the the T-shaped piece.

In this version, I tried to bring back some of the length of my first target design, thinking that if the T fit into the side pieces with significant space, I wouldn't need a floor piece. I realized that the purpose of the floor piece was actually to ground the sides and keep the whole thing from moving in separated parts like a keychain.

This design returns to the previous short side pieces series of designs. It also re-adds the floor piece back then. However, as opposed to design 2, the shape of the side pieces resembles less a bottom-heavy L and more a centrally robust, square C.

This design makes a subtle change to the width of the rectangular floor piece, changing the length from 1.1 cm to 1.5 cm.

In this iteration, I made the side pieces slightly long and changed the shape from the psuedo-C shape to a square and add three more holes to each piece: one more on parallel to the first and two others close to the edge of the square. The goal was to better hold the clicker and create a pivot that would ensure clicking when the top part is pressed. 

Of the 5 constraints for target on the pinball machine, here are the ones that I am missing. I just need to sodder and mount.

Experimented with using finger joints to attach the drilling apparatus at the top of the target to the rest. In this design, the trigger could not be placed inside because the holes were too low. The center needed to be larger and wider to fit the clicker.

Shortened the bottom piece so that a screw could fit in. This was successfull, but length of top parts to hold drilling apparatus were mismatched.

Successfully worked with fingerlocks and integrating the trigger

Using the iterative design process, I worked on the flipper for the machine. This version uses a solenoid with spacers separating two pivots. By  pressing the one beneath the game board with a solenoid, I was able to move the visible one on the game board, giving it recoil when the button was not being pressed using a compression spring.

After perfecting our scoreboard mounts using cardboard, we used Glowforge to cut them into wood. We then used a combination of saws to carve out space for this mount on top of our pinball prototype. Finally, we screwed the mount into our prototype and attached the LCD scoreboard screen to the mount.

In order to design our pinball machine prototype, the first step was cutting our pieces of wood using the  saw. This required us to sketch on the wood two pieces with different supplementary angles. We aligned them and other pieces together and attached them with a combination of drilling, clamping and wood-gluing. By repeating this process, we were able to assemble the prototype that you see pictured.

After the scoreboard, we started to design a mount for the light switch. We used Onshape to design a holder for the light switch, paying close attention to the length of the piece we were given and the holes. After printing on cardboard using Glowforge, we cut it from wood.

For aesthetic purposes, we installed a light switch and the attached cover. To do this, we used a jig saw to carve out a hole in our assembled prototype, then screwed in the piece.

Next, we moved to one of the most important steps of building the machine: installing the power source. We were given wall adapters and had to find a way to attach it to our machine. First we carved a 2*4 wooden block to serve as a hold to keep the power source from sliding to the right or out of the wall we attached it to. We drilled a screw through three separate places. This also required using a Dremel to cut the screws down after drilling too far. Because of this, our power source is held down tightly.

Coded NeoPixel to turn different colors at the click of a button using Arduino.

We used Onshape to design a holder for the NeoPixel out of cardboard and then transferred the design to the wood.

Flippers are powered by a solenoid and work by causing the bat on a spindle on the playing field to pivot around the rotation point when the solenoid is energized and the plunger is pushed back and forth. The reason that the flipper is able to snap back is because of a spring.  Each time the flipper button is pressed, the circuit is completed, which allows for electrical energy to be turned into mechanical.

Solenoid

Wiring

Soddering Materials for Attachment

Magnet for Plunger

Plastic/Nylon Plunger (3D printing possibly needed)

3D-printed pivot piece for gameplay

Screws/drills for attachment

Metal pivot to return the plunger to off position

Spring for quick plunger recoil

Buttons