DeckMate

Introducing Deckmate, a revolutionary card-shuffling and dealing machine designed to enhance your gaming experience. By combining the tasks of shuffling and dealing, Deckmate not only streamlines gameplay but also ensures fairness and consistency for every round. This portable device, equipped with an intuitive user interface, allows players to customize their games by setting the number of cards per person and the total number of players. Deckmate tackles various dealing rules effortlessly, making it an essential companion for card enthusiasts seeking a more efficient and enjoyable game experience.

We can view Deckmate is the combination of two machines in the market.

CAD Design and Code Pipeline

Here is our designed pipeline for the machine. Basically, two motor on top push the card into the central container, simulating shuffling process. Then, the motor in the bottom shoot the card out. This process is managed by states as shown below.

Here is the Arduino connection:

Problem Encountered

One of the most significant challenges we encountered was the bottom motor's inability to shoot out an entire deck of cards due to its weight. Despite testing various distances and angles, the best we could achieve was pushing the cards near the boundary and waiting for them to drop out—clearly far from our goal. We wanted the mechanism to mimic a human dealer, seamlessly shooting out the cards with precision.

Below is a image of certain material and specific size of the rotor we try but went unsuccessful.

To address this issue, I proposed using an RC motor combined with a spinning DC motor that taps onto the cards. This setup would generate sudden friction, providing the necessary force to propel the cards outward effectively, replicating the action of a human dealer.

Final Presentation

Here is the power point we used to pitch our project in front of NYU Engineering Committee.

Here is a Video Demonstration of our product:

Solving this challenging problem sparked my passion for research and problem-solving. I found it fascinating to analyze the issue, experiment with solutions, and develop a creative fix. This experience showed me the excitement of finding innovative answers and deepened my interest in tackling complex engineering challenges.