Programmatically Controlled Juicer 136
An anonymous reader writes "The Juicer is a wirelessly controlled, programmable juice maker which will mix each ingredient of a recipe to the exact proportions every time.
The Juicer will take a recipe selection serially via either the keyboard or the wireless remote and dispense the juices into the cup below. Force and Photo sensors are incorporated to control the precise pouring. Wireless communication is controlled with two microcontrollers operating at a frequency of 433 MHz. All of this is housed by a big red frame custom made from 4130 steel."
Start Monday Morning off Right... (Score:4, Funny)
especially if... (Score:1)
Re:Start Monday Morning off Right... (Score:2, Interesting)
What you want is "Pipe Dream" http://innovexpo.itee.uq.edu.au/2003/exhibits/s358 144/ [uq.edu.au], a final year engineering project.
:-)
Re:Start Monday Morning off Right... (Score:1, Interesting)
Um (Score:5, Informative)
Re:Um (Score:5, Funny)
And he looks like this [penny-arcade.com].
Re:Um (Score:5, Funny)
While we are at jokes, dunno whether this will get modded as offtopic...but could not help without posting this joke.
Bill worked in a pickle factory. He had been employed there for a number of years when he came home one day to confess to his wife that he had a terrible compulsion. He had an urge to stick his penis into the pickle slicer. His wife suggested that he should see a sex therapist to talk about it, but Bill said he would be too embarrassed. He vowed to overcome the compulsion on his own.
One day a few weeks later, Bill came home. His wife could see at once that something was seriously wrong. "What's wrong, Bill?" she asked. "Do you remember that I told you how I had this tremendous urge to put my penis into the pickle slicer?" "Oh, Bill, you didn't." "Yes, I did." "My God, Bill, what happened?" "I got fired." "No, Bill. I mean, what happened with the pickle slicer?" "Oh... she got fired too."
Pretty soon we will see jokes about juice mixer.
Re:Um (Score:2)
Re:Um (Score:2)
Hey, 50 years ago called, they want their re-worded 'bacon slicer' joke back.
Remember - jokes timed for 25 year cycles are also timed for 50 year cycles.
Re:Um (Score:3, Funny)
Re:Um (Score:2)
Re:Um (Score:5, Insightful)
Same here. I was expecting something like Rube Goldberg's wet dream, what Q builds for 007. I had a mental image of a big thing with several bins containing different fruit. Each would be peeled, cut, squeezed, centrifuged, or whatever is needed to be done to get juice from that particular fruit. Don't forget the combination drill press + bandsaw with robotic feed for the coconuts. The thing should measure the exact amount of juice from each fruit, getting more if needed. Since the amount of juice comes in discrete amounts, the leftover juice would be stored in separate containers, with the date automatically recorded.
And then, after finally loading that huge page, (congrats to the Cornell server for holding up to the
Re:Um (Score:2)
Now, your system would handle the juice amounts after that juicer, but no Rube Goldberg machine needed for the actual juicing...
Re:Um (Score:2)
Re:Um (Score:1)
You'd think they would at least engineer it with proper valves to avoid that.
Speacially after dishing out the extra cash for the "Poland Spring" bottles over the generic.
Completely underwhelming.
Re:Um (Score:1)
Re:Um (Score:2)
Damm it I wanted to buy one! (Score:4, Insightful)
Re:Damm it I wanted to buy one! (Score:5, Informative)
Re:Damm it I wanted to buy one! (Score:1)
v 5.0 [barmonkey.net]
Though, what's with that dudes shirt.
Neil Diamond called, he want's his shirt back.
But... (Score:4, Funny)
Re:But... (Score:2, Funny)
Too Much Exercise (Score:2, Funny)
Is this a design flaw, or is it specifically aimed at the type of people who always leave their TV-remotes beside the TV?
Watching the juice all day (Score:5, Funny)
Too mechanical ? (Score:3, Interesting)
Re:Too mechanical ? (Score:1, Funny)
Re:Too mechanical ? (Score:5, Funny)
Soylent juice?!
Like human drummer vs Drum machine (Score:2)
Ever listen to a drum machine that plays precisely on time - sounds incredibly boring. Humans change their timing, intensity, etc - this introduces variability, which makes it more interesting and emotional. Drum machines now have been improved so that variability is incorporated into the machines rhythms, making it sound better.
Humans need variability - at least where the senses are involved.
Re:Like human drummer vs Drum machine (Score:1, Funny)
Exactly. I am sure that my my girl friend would agree on that. Especially for sex.
Re:Too mechanical ? (Score:3, Funny)
How very true. Especially when you think that life itself is imperfect and some of the ingredients might accidentally arrive to the mixer in not-so-perfect-condition.
Re:Too mechanical ? (Score:3, Funny)
A little human in your juice? WTF kind of juice are you drinking?
Re:Too mechanical ? (Score:2)
> Somehow making juice with exact proportions everytime frightens me..
foreach my $ingredient (@ingredients) {
$ingredient *= ((rand(10) + 95)/100);
&add($ingredient);
}
There ya go, slashdot to the rescue!
Re:Too mechanical ? (Score:3, Insightful)
maybe you're trolling, fishing for karma or whatever.. but your keyboard was not made by human hands either and is 'perfect' in that sense - the change happened 100+ years ago so get on the train already.
Re:Too mechanical ? (Score:2)
Uh, what's so scary about this? I ask because I'm making a rather risky assumption here that you drink cola or other bottled beverages.
Re:Too mechanical ? (Score:3, Insightful)
This offends my religion (Score:2)
Re:Too mechanical ? (Score:2)
Re:Too mechanical ? (Score:1)
When I make smoothies at home, on the other hand, I like to do it myself. I like the fact that they're never quite exactly the same. I do measure, but never worry about it being perfect, use fresh fruit which has variety in size and flavor, and then try odd combinations on top of it. Now I really want a smoothie.
Google sez... (Score:3, Funny)
Google Talk id 200 [relet.net]
Re:Google sez... (Score:1)
Re:Google sez... (Score:1)
But be careful: The Juicer is not the most effective nutrition management in flower growing. 209 [relet.net]
Wireless Bartender - Only $299 (Score:4, Funny)
Coming to a frat party near you.
Re:Wireless Bartender - Only $299 (Score:1, Funny)
Re:Wireless Bartender - Only $299 (Score:3, Interesting)
Re:Wireless Bartender - Only $299 (Score:2)
Blech. It's tea sucks!!
Re:Wireless Bartender - Only $299 (Score:1)
Ob Simpsons (Score:3, Funny)
Re:Ob Simpsons (Score:1)
It would be great... (Score:2, Funny)
Obligatory... (Score:5, Funny)
"Again, safety was always a concern from the start. We did not compensate anyone's health, reputation, or employment during our creation of the Juicer."
Safety? What was their test drink? The Pan-Galactic Gargle Blaster?
Sorry, couldn't resist. Just saw the movie!
Re:Obligatory... (Score:2)
Compensate? Do researchers normally pay anyone's healty, reputation, or employment in some form?
Seems self defeating. (Score:3, Funny)
Humanity is too fixated on making physical activity easier and less stressing on the body. Seems like a bad idea. Next thing you know there'll be a WiFi robot that takes dumps for you.
Re:Seems self defeating. (Score:3, Insightful)
No no, there'll be a WiFi robot that takes dumps from you...
Re:Seems self defeating. (Score:3, Interesting)
That's what I thought. There must be about 25-50,000 juice bars in the U.S. They typically seem to have two or three employees. So I figure 25-50,000 machines sold in the U.S. alone if it can knock down one employee per shift.
What's that worth? Not exactly theoretical science but not such a dumb entrepreneurial student project to laugh at.
Of course, that's talking about 25-50,000 people who can't even sling juice for a li
Re:Seems self defeating. (Score:1)
I think you have mistakenly extrapolated some small part of California to the rest of the country because there is no way there are even close to 25,000 juice bars in the U.S. Even the ubiquitous McDonalds only has about 13,000 restaurants nationwide.
That said even if there were only a few thousand juice bars to be sold to there still could be a profit to be made. A beefier, commercial version of the juicer would need to be produced and could probabl
Re:Seems self defeating. (Score:2)
I know it's for fun and learning but... (Score:2, Insightful)
Ditto for the white paint? Is the latter highly water--resistant and washable?
Can the whole appliance be easily cleaned, including the valves?
Is the electrical circuit insulated properly to work in a device that might spill liquids?
Anyway, whether it is ready for a long, safe and reliable use or not, it's an interesting project for fun and learning. Mixing scents instead and transmitting th
Re:I know it's for fun and learning but... (Score:2)
What if someone hacks your juicer? (Score:1, Funny)
reminds me of... (Score:3, Informative)
nice to see the poster did not RTFA (Score:5, Informative)
There really is nothing too complicated with this setup, elegant use of a manufacturered bottle/container that solves one of the engineering problems, but the rest of it is fairly basic in design and implimentation.
It certianly would add a tad bit of "coolness" at a party, but as far as being "food grade" and not grossing out some people by the exposed troughs that carry the "juices" to the cup. Hoses attacted to the bottles would be cleaner and have a higher acceptance lever with some of the more "picky" people in this world.
On a side note, it would have been easier but not cheaper to get older pepsi or coke pre-mix containers with fittings. add CO2 to all the containers and a few of the food grade solenoids from a post-mix dispenser and you would have something highly sanitary and sanatisable, hold much larger amounts of "juice" and sustain a long life.
Outside the CO2 regulator you could get everything you need for around $300.00 including a filled 25 pound CO2 cylinder.
Re:nice to see the poster did not RTFA (Score:1)
Also, was this some sort of project or did they really just make this all for their own enjoyment?
Re:nice to see the poster did not RTFA (Score:2)
all stainless steel and non reactive piping and connectors is very important. Screwing up with aluminim or Brass/copper will poison everyone eventually because of the acidic reaction carrying that metal into the drink and then the drinker.
That is why commercial drink dispensers are all stainless and teflon tubing+conectors. not poisioning ourself or your guests
Re:nice to see the poster did not RTFA (Score:2)
I have to ask... (Score:5, Insightful)
I'm sure to get modded down/censored, but I really want to know? A story about a machine for pouring juice?!?!?! I mean come on... Stuff for nerds, stuff that snores.
Hows about we just pop over to see what Computerworld [computerworld.com] has on the boil...
Re:I have to ask... (Score:1, Troll)
Try resubmitting those stories with a verbal reach-around about Google.
Re:I have to ask... (Score:2)
Fruit Fucker 2000? (Score:2, Funny)
So, is it like this thing [penny-arcade.com]?
Roomate just did this. (Score:1)
Version 2 will be controlled by parallel port and could scale up to 12 bottles.
Re:Roomate just did this. (Score:2)
Re:Roomate just did this. (Score:1)
Aesthetically Pleasing? (Score:4, Funny)
I was going to comment on how close they came to this goal, but then based on some of the case mods I've seen, the torn-label Poland Spring bottles and electrical tape contraption does seem to come pretty close to a geek's idea of eye-candy.
Now if only they had spent a little more to line the insides of the plastic bottles with blue neon...
Interface it with the sauce machine (Score:2, Interesting)
http://www.chemsoc.org/chembytes/ezine/2003/burke_ oct03.htm [chemsoc.org]
"Meanwhile, This is working with the Institut für Micromechanik in Mainz, Germany, on a prototype of a machine that makes dishes from a 'calculus of recipes'." -- The machine exists now.
Juice dispenser (Score:3, Funny)
I've got one.
Not only is it wireless, it makes an instant but highly detailed examination of your taste buds, a spectroscopic analysis of the metabolism, and then sends tiny experimental signals down the neural pathways to the taste centres of the brain to see what is likely to be well recieved.
However, I'm not quite sure why it does this, because it then invariably delivers a cupful of liquid that is almost, but not quite, entirely unlike orange juice.
Last time I ever buy something from Sirius Cybernetics Corporation.
I need new glasses. (Score:2, Funny)
Re:I need new glasses. (Score:1)
Troll!?! (Score:2)
If I wanted to troll, I would have said:
"This juicer is a clear example of how Bill Gates is trying to extend his domination of the western world by replacing simple, open source technology with buggy, insecure, proprietary tech."
That's great, but can it crush ice? (Score:2, Funny)
Re the post on Juicer virii, it could be kind of cool if, say, your date ended up with a triple vodka on the rocks rather than whatever non-fun thing she had requested.
That's if she didn't run out the door after seeing how incredibly geeky you were whilst showing her your collection of smoothies.
Wireless is pointless here (Score:4, Funny)
Possible upgrade route? (Score:2, Funny)
This is why EE's aren't ME's (Score:3, Insightful)
Overall, not a bad report, compared to some I've seen(and written). And no, that aluminum mixing trough ain't kosher. Acid+Aluminum = funk
Re:This is why EE's aren't ME's (Score:3, Informative)
Hmmm, I don't think so. Patent law does not allow anyone to build any patented device without a license, no matter what the purpose. Otherwise, you could use a patented device as part of some machine which you don't sell, but use to create something else you sell.
that aluminum mixing trough ain't kosher. Acid+Aluminum = funk
Aluminum has no problem with the acids
Re:This is why EE's aren't ME's (Score:2)
Also, think about the time variable in the juicer. If you load the machine and run through everything in 20 minutes you probably won't have a chance to pickup funk. But if a two hour wait shows up, then you'll have dried juice and the acid etch.
nice bit on the patent law observation.
Are you sure about this? (Score:2)
I have always understood that as long as you don't intend to sell or profit off of the device in question, you were free to build it. This is one of the tradeoffs for the right of a patent, the "open sourcing" of how to build your invention, so that while you have a mono
Wanted for questioning: (Score:2)
But.. (Score:2)
How does it work? (Score:2)
It's about time (Score:1)
That's not a juicer!! (Score:1)
Now THIS [penny-arcade.com] is a juicer!
4130? I doubt it (Score:2)
I can see it's red, but why 4130? For that kind of frame they should use 1010 steel, also called "mild" steel. 4130 is steel containing 1% Molybdenum and 0.3% carbon, it's a very high strength steel, with a high resistance to shock.
What about their freedoms? (Score:2)
Bah consistency.. (Score:1)
Re:Bah consistency.. (Score:1)
Um, no thank you. What if the preparer is angry at the world that day?
Or horny?
"Look, the sky is falling!" (Score:3, Funny)
The last thing I need to explain to my older neighbors is that my juicer crashed their wireless weather station [ukweathershop.co.uk].
I'll buy one when it can respond to ... (Score:1)
Re:I'll buy one when it can respond to ... (Score:2)
-aiabx
What about tea? (Score:2)
I've seen better out of an ITT (Score:1)
Even though they're EE's (Score:1)
That 'other stuff' they're filtering out with the pins are probably amateur transmissions, or could even be wind profiler radar because those are in teh 70cm band too.
I sent them email explaining this. They really don't want an RDF team tracking them down, reporting them to the FCC and then getting a NAL for several thousand dollars.
We'll see. I would have expected more of EE's.
Just one question (Score:2)