Wire Maze

Everyone knows the famous Wire Maze game !! I wanted to do one myself, because it is easy to do, and with modern electronic (arduino etc ...) we can do something pretty cool.

My Wire Maze is particular because there is no "wired" connection between the wandering stick and the electronics. I use the capacitor effect of human body for detection.

Inspired by :

https://www.instructables.com/id/Turn-a-pencil-draw...

I thought It would be possible to adapt the system to a Wire Maze game. And it works ;-) !!

A second hand one is perfect ;-)

It let you choose your own method. That's not really the point of this instructable.

We use the capacitor effect of human body.

With a micro-controller we will switch an output from +5V to 0V and measure the discharging time through a resistor which is connected to nothing. It will be 0, do you agree ?

If somebody touches the end of the resistor, it will create a small capacitor between the resistor and the ground. Then the discharging time won't be 0 !! We created a touching detector !!

If you look at the schematic :

- SG1 is a buzzer

- Resistor R1 is connected to 5V

- If we suddenly put output #2 of the Trinket to 0, the tension across R1 will fall to 0 immediately

- But if somebody touches 1 OUT, tension across R1 won't fall immediately because we have then a capacitor due to human body effect

- By measuring this discharging time we can trigger the buzzer through #3

And that's it :-) My code is attached. You can adapt it easily for an arduino.

For this part, i've chosen to create a cavity inside the wood, with a CNC router.

Then I printed a cover with a 3D printer. I have a trick to create the cover :

- take a photo and import it in inkscape

- resize the photo till it sizes exactly the same size as in reality

- then you can draw the frame of your cover, while holes for the switch and the led

- and print it ...

it works pretty good.

Electronics components :

1. Trinket or Arduino
2. +5V Buzzer
3. 1 MOhms resistor
4. ON/OFF switch
5. +9V power cell
6. 1 Crocodile plier
7. Testing Board
8. 9V connector