Vending
Developer creates Raspberry Pi controlled vending machine
April 22, 2021
A vending machine, 1.8 meters tall and is half a meter wide, has been developed that uses the Raspberry Pi single-board computer as its main controller, according to a tomshardware.com report.
The consumer chooses products on a keypad on the front of the device.
A custom PCB with matrix control operates the vending mechanism. Each one of the machine's three rows has five coils that get triggered by 24V motors. The Raspberry Pi initiates the motor to vend the selected item after confirming the point transaction.
The Raspberry Pi tracks points using a Google Sheets document and a Python script. Users scan an RFID card to store points.
A developer that goes by the name iSnowfall developed the device as a school project for special needs students. The company is based in India, according to its social media posts.
Upstate Networks in Utica, New York has also developed vending peripherals using Raspberry Pi.
