Abe Haskins loves Pokémon and he confesses that he may love it a little too much. Inspired by an automatic cat feeder, Abe created a vending machine that serves up Pokémon cards instead of cat food. Abe’s project brings together 3D printing, CNC machining, and our Yukon and Badgeware boards which have 20% off until the end of June!
Use the code ABEISGREAT to get 20% off Yukon and Badgeware boards until the end of June.
Yukon is our high-power modular robotics and engineering platform, built around the RP2040. Yukon is a “do-everything” board which can be equipped with interchangeable modules for motors, servos, audio, LEDs and Wi-Fi
Designed with a Poké Ball at the centre, and packs of cards orbiting like collectible satellites, the main shape is 3D printed in sections which are joined together like “slices of pizza”. To keep Abe from getting easy access to the cards, a CNC machined piece of acrylic is placed over the cards and secured to the 3D printed chassis.
To gain access to the cards you need to enter a pin code into a keypad. Entering the correct code via the keypad (connected to an MCP23017 IO expander) triggers the card wheel to rotate, rewarding Abe with a fresh pack of Pokémon cards.
Tufty 2350 and Abe's Poke Prize app
The pin code is generated on a Tufty 2350, one of our Badgeware boards which Abe envisions using at a conference to demonstrate how the build works. On Tufty 2350, Abe created a “Poke Prize” app using our Tomato pomodoro timer app as a starter, and tweaked the code to generate a pseudo random number using a seed. This code generation algorithm is shared between Tufty 2350 and Yukon boards, with each generating the same number without the need to communicate with each other.
But, how does the unit rotate the cards? That is where Yukon comes in. Using a stepper motor set into a 3D printed bracket and connected to a dual motor / bipolar step Yukon module. The stepper motor turns a series of gears which moves the outer ring of cards until a pack lines up with a channel, releasing it into the world.
The front of the machine is unmistakably a Poké Ball and Abe made sure that everyone could readily identify it. The main body is secured using pins to connect the Poké Ball’s outer sections, which also screw into the main frame for strength. The centre of the Poké Ball is where cards will drop into, ready for Abe to tear into! A 3D printed brace connects the outer ring to the Poké Ball, and provides a channel in which the cards will drop. A VCNL4020 proximity and light sensor is used to detect when a pack has been dispensed.
Around the perimeter there is a strip of RGB NeoPixel LEDs for visual feedback, and a DFPlayer mini MP3 playback board connected to a speaker provides audio feedback to the user.
This is the latest in Abe's great projects. He has many more over on his YouTube channel but to sign off we have picked out another project that we love.
Previously, Abe created his “ideal mini computer” powered by PicoVision. PicoVision is a powerful dual RP2040 digital video stick to make your own homebrew games, art, demos, digital signage or whatever else you want to create! Inspired by the “portable” computers of the 1980s, Abe designed a portable computer and custom “Slime OS” for a 5-inch touchscreen housed in a 3D printed chassis.
Use the code ABEISGREAT to get 20% off Yukon and Badgeware boards until the end of June.