Summary of HDD VENDING MACHINE WORKS LIKE A VENDING MACHINE SHOULD
[iooner] transformed a repurposed vending machine to dispense hard disk drives (HDDs) within a hackerspace. This unique setup replaces snacks with storage media, solving the common issue of items getting stuck due to the heavy weight of HDDs compared to light snacks. The project enables members to purchase new drives or access exclusive digital archives like lecture recordings and Wikipedia dumps, blending physical hardware distribution with software culture.
Parts used in the HDD Vending Machine:
- Repurposed vending machine
- Hard disk drives (HDDs)
- Rotating spring mechanism
The concept of vending machines in hackerspaces is nothing new, but [iooner] took it a step further – as hackers ought to. Putting HDDs into the rotating spring of a repurposed vending machine, right where you’d expect to see a Granola bar, isn’t revolutionary – but we don’t remember anybody doing it before this. And, with how heavy a typical HDD is, you are guaranteed to never encounter the “it just won’t fall down” issue that’s omnipresent with the snack-loaded machines.
Nothing could illustrate the premise of this concept better than [iooner]’s video does, and hackerspaces acquiring and having fun with consumer-facing equipment is always fun to watch. A stereotypical hackerspace vending machine sells resistor packs and Arduino boards, but you wouldn’t see it venture into the realm of data storage and distribution. Given how cheap HDDs are nowadays, this concept could benefit us in a variety of applications – selling new HDDs to members for regular data storage use, or distributing hacking magazine archives and Wikipedia dumps, even exclusive release things like recordings of hackerspace lectures.
If this looks familiar, we’ve reviewed a conceptually similar vending machine five years ago, and quite a few DIY ones. If software piracy is more of your thing, there are likely ways to get HDDs out of vending machines without paying, using either robots or an NFC-enabled phone. And, if you’re going to reuse a vending machine, a primer on reverse-engineering its internal comms bus could be of help.
Source: HDD VENDING MACHINE WORKS LIKE A VENDING MACHINE SHOULD
- How did [iooner] modify the vending machine?
[iooner] put HDDs into the rotating spring of a repurposed vending machine where Granola bars would normally be. - Does the heavy weight of HDDs cause issues in this machine?
No, the heavy weight guarantees that users will never encounter the "it just won't fall down" issue found in snack-loaded machines. - What types of data can be distributed using this concept?
This concept can distribute hacking magazine archives, Wikipedia dumps, and exclusive release things like recordings of hackerspace lectures. - Can members buy new HDDs for regular use from this machine?
Yes, the concept could benefit applications by selling new HDDs to members for regular data storage use. - Is there a way to get HDDs out without paying if software piracy is desired?
There are likely ways to get HDDs out of vending machines without paying using either robots or an NFC-enabled phone. - What resource helps with reusing a vending machine?
A primer on reverse-engineering its internal comms bus could be of help if you are going to reuse a vending machine.
