Pie Face is a game that does pretty much what you’d expect from the title. Players sit in front of a spring loaded arm, taking turns to twist a crank. Eventually, one unlucky player will release the arm and be splattered with whipped cream to the enjoyment of the group. [Harrison] wasn’t one to leave things to chance, however, so decided to rig the game.
Instead of allowing the spring-loaded arm to be released by the internal rotating drum, [Harrison] had a better idea. The drum was sanded smooth, to remove the teeth used by the release mechanism. Then, the release mechanism was replaced with a servo, controlled by an Arduino Nano fitted with a Bluetooth module. With just a tap on his smart phone, [Harrison] can trigger the game, guaranteeing his friends get the cream every time.
It’s a tidy build, and one that takes care to avoid detection with subtle design. Had he not released a Youtube video on the build, [Harrison]’s friends would likely be none the wiser. If your thirst for cheating is still unsated, consider loading your dice for a round of Settlers of Catan. Video after the break.
As I read through the article I was waiting for the inclusion of a camera and face detection to automatically determine if Harrison was inthe firing line.
The thought did cross my mind! But it would have difficult to conceal a camera such that it always had a clear line of sight to the user. Still, an intriguing idea.
I think it would be sufficient to block the trigger mechanism during your turn, instead of triggering it artificialy when it’s not your turn.
True, but that wouldn’t be nearly as fun… :-)