T&L Publications

<blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">quote:</font><hr>Originally posted by Engineer1138:
Design an automatic bartender that can mix drinks. You need to programming, computer I/O, temperature control, user interfaces and you get to design (semi)precison pumps and a valving system. The complexity can be scaled from something doable in a weekend, to a full-blown 9 month project, depending on what features you incorporate.<p>I've been thinking about doing this for years, but never had the time.<hr></blockquote><p>Are you saying that you get started, attempt to test the beta version, and wake up in prison. Six to nine months later you have to start over from scratch???

I just got it. "6-to-9 months for misdemeanor reckless behaviour and indecency"
But I think the project was the bartender, & not the still.

And I thought it was so he could use 6 and 9 in one sentence and sneak one in. Sort of like the number 37.

<blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">quote:</font><hr>Originally posted by no_vice:
But I think the project was the bartender, & not the still.<hr></blockquote><p>Don't put ideas in my head

<blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">quote:</font><hr>Originally posted by Borisw37:

...>How about a device to sort (and count) M&Ms by color?
I doubt that I will get approval from the professors to do this as my senior design project. It does not sound like a usefull device.<p>Thank you,
Boris.<hr></blockquote><p>
Well, actually it IS! (And it has been done.) <p>Forget M&M's (although Mars does this, too!)<p>For quality control on color-coded packages (pharmaceuticals, for one), manufacturers check the color of finished parts. If not to spec, they're rejected (by air-jet) into a pile to be re-ground and remolded.<p>Don't be so quick to discard an idea. I saw such a device about 20 years back, but I'm SURE you can do better (fast is good, too!).

Considering you've probably already come up wiht your design idea.
Btw if you did what was it?<p>How about something for disaster recovery. Considering the Tsumani and now Katrina disaster. There's a bunch of ideas there. Anything for survivor help to body recovery.

How about this.........
A system of air valves for a forced air home heating system. Valves control temperature of each room, open and close rooms not being used, etc. Full home heating control.

Well, i'm a EE i remember back in college anoher classmate tried to make an arm that could be used by a "joystick" the first time. After you were done with the task the arm would repeat the same task over and over again by recording the joystick movements.... his arm was done very sloppy but the idea can be neat as the application you chose to do... maybe with multi-arms!!! <p>for processor i love the MSP430.. if you really want to go home made try using chip from Freescale
something to get you started...
http://www.sambuchi.net/Projects/68HC908/68HC908.htm
parts are free.. no j-tag or programmer needed when in monitor mode.
lots of sample codes.
good luck