Netbook-Run Dice Robot Can Rack Up 1.3 Million Rolls a Day 280
stevel writes "The owner of games site GamesByEmail.com created Dice-O-Matic, 'a machine that can belch a continuous river of dice down a spiraling ramp, then elevate, photograph, process and upload almost a million and a half rolls to the server a day. ... The Dice-O-Matic is 7 feet tall, 18 inches wide and 18 inches deep. It has an aluminum frame covered with Plexiglas panels. A 6x4 inch square Plexiglas tube runs vertically up the middle almost the entire height. Inside this tube a bucket elevator carries dice from a hopper at the bottom, past a camera, and tosses them onto a ramp at the top. The ramp spirals down between the tube and the outer walls. The camera and synchronizing disk are near the top, the computer, relay board, elevator motor and power supplies are at the bottom.' While not called out in the article, the pictures clearly show a Dell Mini 9 running the show (and performing the optical recognition of the dice values.) No, it's not running Linux."
Excellent... (Score:5, Funny)
Finally a sensible way to play a 3000 pt Imperial Guard list!
Need more stats (Score:4, Funny)
What's its AC and THAC0? :)
A good first step (Score:5, Funny)
Jumping to conclusions (Score:5, Funny)
"No, it's not running Linux"
I hate it when people to conclusions. Obviously, it is running linux, just with an XP-themed window manager.
What a waste, (Score:1, Funny)
it can only roll D6s.
Re:Not running Linux? (Score:3, Funny)
A Linux user might also completely fail to read the article and discover that some of his users weren't happy with the results of various electronic and noise-based generators that he's used in the past.
Rob (a not-PC user, in a snarky mood for some reason)
Re:Why? (Score:5, Funny)
It's a good thing I have my paradox absorbing crumple zones installed...
Re:What a waste, (Score:5, Funny)
it can only roll D6s.
No problem. You can generate any die roll you like from D6's, just do a little math.
For a D8, just roll two D6's, add them together, and then take the result modulo 8 and add 1. Poof! A random number between 1 and 8!
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(If you're furious with nerd rage right now: I'm kidding. If you're not furious: don't try this at home.)
No random, no paradox (Score:2, Funny)
Nothing is random, but you can still imagine the results of a random event. There is no paradox here.
1.3 million rolls a day! ... (Score:4, Funny)
Re:Need more stats (Score:3, Funny)
This is the 21st century sir.
Your roll of Wis vs Fort is a failure. You suffer 50pts of Necrotic damage; save ends.
Re:What a waste, (Score:5, Funny)
Re:A good first step (Score:3, Funny)
Are you sure it wasn't the two girls one cup game?
Re:Need more stats (Score:2, Funny)
It's a gazebo Eric! A gazebo!
Re:A good first step (Score:5, Funny)
fully automize Vegas!
Someone already tried this. The machine took your debit card number, and generated a random number: if (N <= 45) { card->cash *= 2; } else { card->cash *= 0.5; }. The end result was the same, but for some reason it just didn't have the same appeal. My theory is it has something to do with the tangible dice.
Re:Need more stats (Score:4, Funny)
THAC0 is deprecated as of the latest release. Please upgrade your packages.
Re:Jumping to conclusions (Score:1, Funny)
Re:A good first step (Score:3, Funny)
Ahhh, forget the casino!
Re:No random, no paradox (Score:3, Funny)
I have random thoughts like that all the time.
Re:Practical randomness (Score:3, Funny)
Or alternatively just grab that Brownian motion detector.
If only it would just hold still for a sec...
Re:What a waste, (Score:2, Funny)
Who wants to bet (Score:2, Funny)