The original plan was to make an alarm clock that violently speeded up my morning routine, but I ended up with a machine that saves the user a few seconds in a nicer way. The tea machine-concept allowed me to build a small and quirky product, designed for one simple task. The general idea is a “station” where the user places the cup, and a system of mechanical “arms” that mixes and serves the tea.
The user has to provide his own hot water, the machine can start when the cup is in place. I experimented with a heat sensor to start the process, but landed on a simple button. Watching the mechanical mixing is more engaging at a fast pace, and a button provides desired control of the timing.
The machine had to be able to serve several cups consecutively. Finding “self-loading” solutions became an important part of the project. Regular Arduino servos were strong enough to move all of the parts, and reliable enough to function together. I could have used a wider range components, but the interplay between the rotational movements gave the machine a lively and robotic personality.
