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Design and Technology Project - Pinball Table

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  • Guest

    #1

    Design and Technology Project - Pinball Table

    Hi,

    An interesting little puzzle here. I'm devising a project for a Year 9 D&T Class (for the more senior - **old bordering infirm** members of the forums for D&T read Woodwork or Craft Design and Technology and for Year 9 read 13 years old)

    The idea is to design and make a pinball game, MDF base, softwood apron around the sides, curved top with flexiply or MDF around edge. Flipper will be via means of spring in piece of ply, rubber band etc and plunger to fire ball will be dowel and a spring. Ball will be a Marble or other similar sized spherical object, ball bearing etc.

    The scoring will by via three strategically located containers which store the ball when they drop in via the top, carefully labelled 5 points, 10 points, what the hell 100 points - (I'm feeling generous) scoring based on the location and difficulty of hitting the target.

    Well I'm all sure that the average 13 year old in this PS2, iPOD, Mobile phone, camera, internet etc age will be bowled over by that and was thinking of adding some bells and whistles to the show via means of LEDS, sound modules etc. Microswitch when you hit the target and it plays match of the day for example.

    Yes I know it sounds impressive!

    Now the actual question - best means of creating that, existing modules from Rapid Electronics etc - Best means must be:

    1) Cheap - preferably under £3 or as next to nothing as humanely possible - i.e. more bang for the buck.

    2) K.I.S.S. - Keep It Simple Stuipid. The main emphasis is the design of the pinball game, graphics, layout, presentation drawings etc.

    3) Minimal soldering and effort - i.e. must be suitable for all ability levels without use of PC to program!

    OK Thats the challenge - The member who comes up with the best solution will be awarded a virtual pat on the back and their name will go into legend.

    OK - So lets get these ideas flooding in!

    :gathering
  • Guest

    #2
    Hi Alen

    Use a 555 timer chip on a bit of bread board maybe a 556 and just go with buzer and a few flashing LED's the chips are no money from RS or maplin and the few comps required are a couple of resistors and a few caps.

    loads of designs on the net

    cheers Kevin

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    • Guest

      #3
      If you go to one of those Teddy Bear Factories that you seem to find in most Malls nowadays you can get a little unit that plays a recorded sound on application of pressure on a diaphragm. They are very small little units and you can actually pre-record your preferred sound at the shop and have it put on the chip.

      This sounds to me like exactly what you want for a sound that would emit when a ball drops in a cup and can be arranged to depress the diaphragm. I think you would need to oversee the recording process otherwise the thing will be shouting something obscene every time the ball drops. But thinking though, if you could take the kids with you they could record thier own exclamation to be played when a point is scored.

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      • Guest

        #4
        Both good ideas -The teddy bear sound recorder module sounds good I'll have to try find a source for a small sound module, maybe a trip to poundland!

        It's good fun anyhow - had two free periods today and made my basic pinball table. It's rather hard to score though at the moment as it's just a pinball and a trigger to launch the ball around the table...

        ...saying that I'm sure a lot of the year 9 students would get hours of amusement from it!

        One of the year 10 Resistant Material kids seemed to be impressed by my efforts and exclaimed "Year 9 students make Cool stuff - thats Well Cool Sir!" Just wait till they see the LED's too. Heheh!

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