A Lego Technic Cupcake Production Line #piday #raspberrypi @Raspberry_Pi
Great article from The Chemical Engineer on using LEGO Technic to make a cupcake line. More importantly the objective is to build unique teaching tools.
During Covid and lockdown, I’ve been updating the design, using Lego BrickLink Studio software, and rebuilding the cupcake depositor and enrober, as well as constructing the telescope model. These models just need a few more bricks to finish off the mechanical parts, and I am now concentrating on the programming and control circuitry for the depositor. This will involve the use of a Raspberry Pi, some Arduino Nanos and various electronic chips such as motor controllers, PWM devices and sensors to measure the relative position between the depositing head and the cupcake moulds on the conveyor.
Overall, the object of the exercise is to build an engineering teaching tool, constructed from both physical and virtual elements, which links teaching to the current and future needs of the process industry. The starting point has been the Lego cupcake factory, but then should incorporate virtual process plant to describe the production of raw materials, that support the cake-making process. The design, building and use of deliverables are directly relevant to undergraduate teaching and research projects, but also have a significant relevance to STEM teaching across all ages.
Each Friday is PiDay here at Adafruit! Be sure to check out our posts, tutorials and new Raspberry Pi related products. Adafruit has the largest and best selection of Raspberry Pi accessories and all the code & tutorials to get you up and running in no time!
Adafruit publishes a wide range of writing and video content, including interviews and reporting on the maker market and the wider technology world. Our standards page is intended as a guide to best practices that Adafruit uses, as well as an outline of the ethical standards Adafruit aspires to. While Adafruit is not an independent journalistic institution, Adafruit strives to be a fair, informative, and positive voice within the community – check it out here: adafruit.com/editorialstandards
Stop breadboarding and soldering – start making immediately! Adafruit’s Circuit Playground is jam-packed with LEDs, sensors, buttons, alligator clip pads and more. Build projects with Circuit Playground in a few minutes with the drag-and-drop MakeCode programming site, learn computer science using the CS Discoveries class on code.org, jump into CircuitPython to learn Python and hardware together, TinyGO, or even use the Arduino IDE. Circuit Playground Express is the newest and best Circuit Playground board, with support for CircuitPython, MakeCode, and Arduino. It has a powerful processor, 10 NeoPixels, mini speaker, InfraRed receive and transmit, two buttons, a switch, 14 alligator clip pads, and lots of sensors: capacitive touch, IR proximity, temperature, light, motion and sound. A whole wide world of electronics and coding is waiting for you, and it fits in the palm of your hand.
Have an amazing project to share? The Electronics Show and Tell is every Wednesday at 7:30pm ET! To join, head over to YouTube and check out the show’s live chat and our Discord!
Python for Microcontrollers – Adafruit Daily — Python on Microcontrollers Newsletter: CircuitPython 9.2.1, What is DMA, PyConUS 2025 and More! #CircuitPython #Python #micropython @ThePSF @Raspberry_Pi
EYE on NPI – Adafruit Daily — EYE on NPI Maxim’s Himalaya uSLIC Step-Down Power Module #EyeOnNPI @maximintegrated @digikey