Maze Game (Arduino Mega + Leds)

This is a school project for the My Machine Foundation

My Machine is an organization which brings primary school students, high school students en college students together to work on a dream machine.

The primary school children draw their dream machines on paper. The college students (as myself) design and create the chosen machines. In the next year the high school students will produce the machine.

The dream machine I am designing is inspired by a game-vending-machine which was the dream of my primary school children.

A vending machine is no challenge for us. We tried to focus on the aspect of "playing together". The final design is a disk maze that can be played by a metal ball. The platform has to be controlled by 2-4 children who tilt the disk to roll the ball in the right direction. The disk is divided in 4 individual mazes (zones) that are connected in the middle. Leds between the zones show you wich maze you have to play. Try to reach the endzone in time (Game over when the leds are full) and you will get a new zone. Careful in the zones because servos shift gates to change the maze.

- Arduino Mega
- Breadbord
- 220V to 12V regulator
- 7 5V regulators (1A)
- 8 9G Servos
- 2.1mm power jack for Arduino
- power cable
- connection cable
- WS2812B Leds (I used 64 leds)
- Arcade button (30mm) adafruit
- 7 segments with backpack adafruit
- aluminum tape
- Alligator clamps

- PS foam
- 5mm multiplex
- Laser cutter

Note: some of these parts can be replaced. The 5V regulators can be of a higher ampere level. The singular leds (which have to be soldered) can be replaced by led strips.

Because of the complexity I am not going to do a detailed instructable about this. See the pictures for inspiration.

Includes:
- Soldering the led strips
- Laser cutting the maze patern
- Cutting PS foam with a hotwire with the pattern as guide
- Coding the servos and leds

Schematics in the next step.

I have included a 7 segment to show a score so you can compete with you friends. An arcade START button starts the game. The gates are 3D printed.

Note: this is my first arduino project so be gentle with my code style :)

The end result which was named "Dwaalhof".

Work in progress expo at Kortrijk with the children of all the primary schools.

Happy building and merry Christmas!