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MindMeter

Measuring the Unmeasurable

Technical

CAD, Mechanical Design, Rapid Prototyping, DFA, Arduino, Electronics Integration, Soldering

Transferable

Creativity, Resourcefulness, Resilience, Teamwork, Presentation

Pair project with Aidan Ryder

The Challenge

Create an interactive mechatronic product using resourceful design, simple electronics and a range of engaging mechanical movements.

The Solution

A playful machine that measures sanity, perception, luck and emotion through sensors, lights and interactive mechanical games, creating a varied user experience.

Try it

A browser recreation of the machine, built from our design. Press the button and make some noise.

Virtual MindMeter A flat front view of the MindMeter machine. On the left, a tall white tower with the glowing letters I N S A N I T Y running down it and a green PUSH button on top, with eight hanging signs beside it from Insanity Achieved down to You Alive. On the right, a lower box with six green diamond pistons on top, a perception test panel, the Wheel of Luck, the Slides of Emotion window showing a smiley face, and a green-balled lever on its side. Perception Test WHEEL OF LUCK SLIDES OF EMOTION SuperLuck GoodLuck SuperBad Luck BadLuck GoodLuck SuperBad Luck GoodLuck BadLuck InsanityAchieved NearlyGone Spiralling ApproachingUnhinged Not doinggreat Irritated Think Youare Okay You Alive? Broken Broken Touch me I N S A N I T Y PUSH

Press or hold PUSH and make some noise; reach the top and the whole machine goes haywire. Pull the lever to spin the Wheel of Luck and the Slides of Emotion, and move your mouse (or drag a finger) over the green crystals to make them follow you. Hover over the A (tap it on a phone) to stop it flickering.

Your microphone is only used while the button is active. Nothing is recorded or sent anywhere.

Browser version built by me; the physical machine was a pair project with Aidan Ryder.

Development Journey

MindMeter measures four invented stats, Sanity, Perception, Luck and Emotion, each inspired by a different reference: a carnival strength-test game, a crankshaft-driven piston row, and a slot machine. We stayed deliberately resourceful throughout: the only components bought beyond the supplied kit were bearings and a ToF sensor, four LED colours were combined to produce seven output colours instead of buying an LED strip, and every sticker and sign was designed, printed and cut by hand.

Final Design

The finished MindMeter in use: one hand pressing the glowing Insanity tower button, one held over the diamond pistons and one pulling the side lever Annotated CAD of MindMeter from the front and back: ToF sensor, Magic Rising Diamonds, mic and button, Scotch-yoke mechanism, Wheel of Luck, stopper for the emotion slides, rack and pinion lever, and wiring hidden in the tower

Sound-Responsive Tower

A push button activates the microphone, which measures sound level and changes the LEDs from green to red.

Hand-Tracking Pistons

A ToF sensor measures hand distance, letting the crystal-topped pistons follow the user in a wave-like motion.

Scotch-Yoke Mechanism

One servo drives six pistons through a shared Scotch-Yoke and gear system.

Capacitive Touch Input

Touching the sensor stops the flickering light.

Luck and Emotion Mechanism

Bevel gears transfer rotation through supported shafts and bearings, letting one motor drive both the Wheel of Luck and the flip-clock-style emotion display.

Rack-and-Pinion Lever

The side lever drives a rack-and-pinion mechanism, triggering the Wheel of Luck and Slides of Emotion.

My Role

  • Developed the full CAD model and mechanical systems
  • 3D printed, finished and assembled the prototype
  • Integrated electronics through soldering and wiring
  • Presented and demonstrated the working machine to visitors

MindMeter was a pair project, designed and built with Aidan Ryder (LinkedIn, opens in a new tab).

Mayli presenting MindMeter in front of a screen showing its CAD render Early concept sketches: the first machine layout, a barrel cam and a cam follower CAD render of MindMeter: the Insanity tower, diamond pistons, Wheel of Luck, Slides of Emotions and side lever Mayli testing MindMeter's wiring, with the piston gear train exposed The finished MindMeter photographed on a black background, with the Insanity tower glowing and the diamond pistons raised in a wave