Engineering applications

Pinball!

This year we are being challenged to make a pinball machine for our culmilating prject for our engineering pathway.

Requirements

Above is the requirment list for our project!

Steam

This project will use all discpilenes of STEAM!

Stop light

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Stop light start

For this assignment we used our rasberry picos and mu editor to make a working stoplight.

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Stop light finish

We wired our leds through a breakout board which we then put in the picos to free up space.

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Chaser

We used our coding knowledge from last year to code our circuit board to have the light rotate in a circle. This required a lot of the same code repeated over and over so that it can go in a circle. In this code the serial monitor to help me indetify the problems in my code.

Github code

This code is The code for our chaser.

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start button

We went as a class to the pinball musuem. The start button is the component that loads up the machine and makes the ball come onto the hammer. The start button activates the entire machine.

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Launcher

The launcher is a component that is non electronic propeller that has a spring which launches the ball foward into the main part of the machine.

The launcher has a part that hangs out of the machine and you can pull it back and launch the ball out. The spring has a build up of potential energy when pulled back and it then shoots forward quickly dispearing kinetic energy.

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Target

In the pinball machine, a target is a special spot to hit with the ball for points and it might activate different features within the pinball machine. When the ball hits the it sends a signal using a sensor to the machine to give points.

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Bumpers

All bumpers are controlled with cellanoids that recieves a single when the circuit is closed

stairs

We used rectangles and the duplicate tool to make a stair case in onshape

robot sides

We made a large rectangle and on the inside we made squares on the inside using the duplicate and mirror tool

Rectangles and circles

We made some rectangles and inside of the rectangles we made circles

rectangles

We made a square with two rectangles which are the same size\

Targets

we used the tool that allows you to duplicate stuff called Linear pattern to create this item

Pyramid

We used a extrude tool to create a pyramid on onshape.

disk

We used the revolve tool with a trianlge around a line to create this shape.

doughnut

we used the revolve tool with a circle around a line to make this shape.

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Lcd with two buttons

This scoredboard displays the use of the two buttons which makes the score go up and makes the ball count go up. We used a bread board and a rasberry pico to code our scoreboards on MU editor and we used different wires to connect them. We also used the glowforge to cut out a scoreboard mount.

GitHub - NylesDobson/ScoreboardContribute to NylesDobson/Scoreboard development by creating an account on GitHub.

Engineering 9-12 10/18

ET

we used onshape to create theses shapes and it was made by using the shape fillet tool.

Pacman :3

we used the onshape circle tool to create a pacman shape and we used the extrude tool.

Bumper/Flipper reasearch

Video 1

This video went into the different elements of the bumper and how the different pieces of the bumper work with eachother.

Video 2

This shows how to put the different pieces of the pop bumpers such as the absorber and the metal bars that hold it to the mount.

Pinball Pop Bumper MechanismThis animation is featured in my e-book "How to Make a Pinball Machine'"which is available from my website pinballdesign.com

Video 3

This video shows exactly how the different parts of a part bumper interact with each other to shoot the ball out.

What is the function of a bumper/flipper?

The function of a bumper is to propel the ball back into the machine when the button is activated on the solenoid.

Describe in your own words, once your bumper/flipper is installed, how you will consider it to be successful. As of this year, one of the expectations of your engineering knowledge is that you can develop your own set of constraints. Use the target constraints as a guide. Develop a comprehensive list of project constraints for your flipper/bumper (10-20 requirements).

The thing that will make my bumper succesfull is if it is able to concitently function and it is able to pop the ball out at a high speed.

Answer these questions in detail: What is the “switch” that controls the mechanism? Describe it. Add an image of one.

The inside of the pop bumper has a skirt which is hit and that actuates a switch connected to the solenoid coil, firing the bumper.

What is the electromechanical component that creates the movement? Add an image of one.

The plunger (image below)

What is the mechanical component that hits the ball? Describe it in words, but also draw a 3D Sketch of the assembly (on paper). Add this sketch to the entry.

The ring and rod assembly. This thing is what the plunger activates to propel the ball outwards.

This is a plunger

The ring and rod assembly

What is the function of a bumper/flipper

contrainst list

Wire colors

wiring labels

Wiring chart

Appropriate wiring connections

securing wiring

Neopixel top

Neopixel bottom

The neopixel works by getting power and activating each led with code

Servo Top

Servo Bottom

The servo works by using a motor to activate a piece of plastic which spins in a circle using code ro activate

The flipper works by using a solenoid which is connected to a piece of wood with a stick which gives the front part of the flipper leverage to hit the ball.

Top bumper

bottom bumper

This component activates by using a solenoid whch is connected to two screws to bring down a cone which launches the ball out. To have this componet activate we complete the circuit with a metal pinball.

top target

bottom target

this component activates with a switch which is powered by a ground wire. The switch activates which makes the score on the scoreboard increase.

top Launcher

bottom launcher

This launcher work by connecting a piece of wood to a spring which allows it to launch the ball

Scoreboard back

Scoreboard front

The scoreboard is used to display some of the other components activating and the score is increased by the amount displayed by the scoring system.

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Video

Pinball graphic

Project reflection

1.This project has been the most difficult project I have ever done in my life. The project has been different because it has allowed me to learn how to overcome many different obstacles with coding and troubleshooting.

2. I felt very relieved to complete this project. I was much less stressed when I finished.

3.The thing I am most proud of on this project is my bumpers and my projects flow and how it worked together.

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