I started planning for a new project this week. We started studying eddy currents in physics this week, and I read online that the principle was used to determine the identity of coins. I found a really interesting YouTube video here, and I was fascinated with the idea. I have two Arduinos sitting around so I decided to use it as the microprocessor because, well, that’s what I have. I’m ordering two IR photogates to determine the time it takes for a coin to roll down a ramp with a strong magnetic field in the middle that will slow it down according to the material makeup. I’m also ordering a 16×2 LCD output to display how long it took to travel between the two photogates and the coin identification.
I’m excited about the programming challenges of this project. I have to figure out exactly when the photogates are tripped, come up with an accurate delta t, and then compare that to a range of known values to identify the coins. I can’t wait to get my supplies so I can get started on this new project. I hope I’ll have fun pictures and updates on this project soon!!