Summary of A MINI VENDING MACHINE TO RAMP UP YOUR SALES
Gabriel D’Espindula built a mini vending machine—laser-cut plywood box with a clear lockable door—using continuous-rotation servos driving spiral Archimedes screws to eject products from shelves. It uses a membrane keypad and display, an STM32 board plus an Arduino, and supports RFID card login and keyboard login. Design files and a progress video are available for download.
Parts used in the Mini Vending Machine:
- Laser-cut plywood panels (for frame and shelves)
- Clear lockable door
- Continuous-rotation servos (for driving Archimedes screws)
- Spiral Archimedes screws (product ejectors)
- Membrane keypad
- Display (for user interface)
- STM32 board (controller)
- Arduino (secondary controller)
- RFID reader and RFID cards (for login)
- Miscellaneous fasteners and wiring
A common sight in the world of hackerspaces is an old vending machine repurposed from hawking soda cans into a one-stop shop for Arduinos or other useful components. [Gabriel D’Espindula]’s mini vending machine may have been originally designed as an exercise for his students and may not be full sized, but we can see it or machines like it taking away some of the demand for those surplus models.
Its construction mimics that of some older 3D printers in using laser-cut ply to form the components of a box. Behind a clear lockable door are the shelves containing the products, at the back of which are continuous rotation servos that will drive the spiral Archimedes screws that eject the products. To the side is a membrane keypad and display, and the whole is drawn together with an STM32 board and an Arduino. It supports both RFID card login and keyboard login, and though it’s not finished we can see it forming the basis of a very useful system.
He’s posted the most recent progress in the form of a video that we’ve placed below the break. All the various files are available for download, so should you fancy one yourself then you have a good chance of success.
Source: A MINI VENDING MACHINE TO RAMP UP YOUR SALES
- What materials form the machine enclosure?
Laser-cut plywood panels form the box and shelves, with a clear lockable door. - How are products ejected from the shelves?
Continuous-rotation servos drive spiral Archimedes screws at the back of the shelves to eject products. - What microcontrollers are used in the project?
The project uses an STM32 board together with an Arduino. - What user input methods does the machine support?
It supports a membrane keypad and display for keyboard login and also RFID card login. - Is the project design and files available?
Yes, all the various files are available for download as mentioned in the article. - Was this machine full sized?
No, this mini vending machine may not be full sized and was originally designed as an exercise for students. - Is the project finished?
The article states the machine is not finished but shows it forming the basis of a useful system. - Are there video updates showing progress?
Yes, the creator posted a recent progress video linked in the article.
