Just What We All Need – A Skittles Sorting Machine [Video]
Yeah, you read that headline right. Someone invented a contraption that sorts the candy skittles by color.
This is a machine I designed to sort Skittles. It uses a BASIC Stamp 2 and 3 servos for actuation. An IR LED and phototransistor are used to stop the turnstile in position. I fabricated may of the parts from epoxy including the body, the turnstile, the chute header, etc. The base is wood and the funnel is from a hummingbird feeder. The rest is made from telescope parts and PVC.
I've made some recent modifications to the machine. Now the color detection stage is visible and I painted some previously unfinished parts.
The machine works with Reese's Pieces as well as m&ms. However since it was originally designed for Skittles there are only 5 bowls, but 6 colors of m&ms. I put the blue and brown m&ms in the same bowl.
Why would someone invent this? Who knows. Still I guess that's pretty neat.
If you have a lot of downtime and are wanting a project to work on he has the schematics on how to make your own candy sorter. On the YouTube description.