Maker creates a race car track for his son’s birthday using an Arduino, lasers, 3D printing and some junk from the trash.
Maybe it’s the Throwback Thursday spirit, or perhaps it was our recent blog post on 3DRacers, whatever the reason, we couldn’t pass up this awesome project. Who could forget those good ol’ days of playing hours on end with their Hot Wheels sets? Inspired by those nostalgic times, a Maker by the name of “apachexmd” has created a Pinewood Derby-like track timer for his three-year-old son’s birthday party using both electronics and 3D printing.
The track timer is comprised of two parts: a starting gate and finish line. Since each of the cars needed to leave the gate simultaneously, the Maker turned an electronically-controlled system. “Apachexmd” connected a servo to a hinge with four machine screws, one for each toy car. When the servo is rotated, the hinge pushes the screws out through holes in the track. This keeps the cars waiting still at the starting line. Once the “big green button” is pressed, the screws are pulled back and the Hot Wheels are sent speeding down the ramp.
As the toy cars make their way down the slope, a winner is decided at the finish line using another electronic system, which emulates that of a laser trip wire alarm. Beneath the track lie four laser diodes shining upwards through a series of drilled holes drilled into the track. The Maker then mounted four phototransistors that would take care of detecting when a laser beam is broken by a car.
Those looking for a rematch are in luck, the gate automatically resets after each race. Meanwhile, the system is equipped with eight 7-segment displays that reveal the order in which the Hot Wheels cross the finish line. Impressively, a majority of the project was crafted out of items found in his trash, custom 3D-printed components such as spacers and hinges, and powered by an Arduino Uno (ATmega328), a switching voltage regulator and a 2S LiPo battery.
So, was it a success? “The three year olds at the birthday party had a blast! But I think the adults (me included) had even more fun,” the Maker concludes.
Looking to devise your own race track? Get started by racing over to the Maker’s project log here.
how much to make this?
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