Episode 607 Reboot request

In the final design, you may want to make the play surface a replaceable element so as you can easily swap it out for a different design.

I suspect that over time you may want to refine it a bit as you get more confident with the different aspects of the build.  

You could have swappable themed designs for different seasons or events. Or you could perhaps swap a roll a ball for a pinball design.

Perhaps keep an eye out for some of the DIY pinball machine forums as they are likely to have some tips on how to make interactive features that work reliably.

I like that idea. Thank you  

Some educational constructor kits might be worth a look for ideas/prototyping.

Build your own game: Quick building success and great fun for the whole family!

The rotating deflectors looked interesting as they perhaps could be attached to rotary sensors to generate points and flash lights. The rubber band shooting balls through a narrow opening looks like another simple but effective option.

The sensor arrangement on the Elton Derby game can be seen here:

   https://rollaball.co.uk/product/score-tray-optical-sensor-v4/

in the spares section.

Looks like 3 pairs of optical break beam sensors with the chutes directing balls from certain pockets through the different sensors.

According to a comment here:

   https://forum.arduino.cc/t/roll-a-ball-horse-race-game/417850

apparently in 2017, the game cost £18,000.

I love the mouse on the bus game. The camel racing was great too. 18,000 must include everything.  I like the scoring system.  It would be easy to replicate. Thank you for the links. I'm guessing, but I imagine there's a chain driven system using NEMA 23 step motors. These are similar to this episode project.  It's exactly what I wanted,  just bigger.

Mikeatencio said:

I'm guessing, but I imagine there's a chain driven system using NEMA 23 step motors.

The original carnival versions were more like Scalextric sets with a powered track and motors on the horse carriage

https://rollaball.co.uk/product/model-motor/

The horses also had linkages to animate their heads and tails and rider as they moved along the track

You have a choice of sticking with this method or going with a belt type drive with a static motor.

A static motor would perhaps be easier for determining carriage position but perhaps more fiddly if you wanted to add in an extra 6' of race track, as you would need to change the length of the 12 belts.

You may find some of these construction tips videos by Tim Hunkin useful:

   https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLtaR0lZhSyANYB0Xxb9OSp47pHuQmj3Ol

He has spent a lifetime building electromechanical arcade machines.

I absolutely am chuffed.  Thank you so much.

Scalextric style power perhaps has the advantage that it supplies power to the carriage as it is being driven so you have the option for powering other stuff on the carriage as well as the motor.

Although these days you could use rechargeable batteries with a belt drive system.

Depends if you ever see yourself wanting to get creative with the carriages. At Xmas you could be racing Xmas trees and want them to light up as they move down the track or have the reindeer noses and Santa's sleigh light up.

If you are going to be putting a fair bit of time and effort into building this, then you perhaps want to try keep your options open for enhancing it.

Hmmm. Interesting. Similar to the old automatons from the 18th and 19th centuries. Do you think this is like a slot car track underneath? Two brushes? How would I send a signal without using stepper motors? A timer? This is very simple, yet my brain is more advanced. This is a case of TMI with newer technologies (sadly). I believe a simple design is the best and most effective plan. This falls into that category, but I'm not sure how. The horses can be 3D printed along with the jockey and levers, and even the chassis. Getting voltage to the motor isn't a problem. It's telling the motor how many revolutions ---> distance to go for each point scored. And provide a beam breaker to identify the winner at the end. I found the company that makes this: https://eltonamusements.com/derby-games/  

Which would you create with what we've both researched? I'm no engineer. I'm a guy who tears everything apart to figure out how it was built and reassemble it, and think about how it works in other applications.