CREATIVE TECHNOLOGY

Skull Slot Machine


A Halloween slot machine housed in a 3D-printed skull: press the button, watch the eyes spin, win candy.

Interaction · Physical Computing · Mechanical Eng. Arduino IDE · Blender · Cura. Arduino Nano · Stepper Motors · Servo · 3D-Printed Housing

Interactive design

Hardware Design

Project Overview

Skull Slot Machine reimagines the classic slot machine as a tactile, Halloween-themed installation. Press a button and the skull's eyes spin like slot reels through four symbols each; align both and the mouth opens to dispense candy.

The project sits at the intersection of mechanical design, embedded programming, and playful interaction, turning randomness and probability into a physical, rewarding moment.

DISCIPLINES

Interaction Design
Physical Computing
Mechanical Engineering

TOOLS

Arduino IDE
Blender
Ultimaker Cura

HARDWARE

Arduino Nano
Stepper motors, servo motor
3D-printed housing

My Role

I led technical development end-to-end, owning both software architecture and the physical computing system:

  • Designed the Arduino control logic governing the full interaction sequence

  • Programmed stepper motor behavior for randomized, independent eye rotation

  • Developed the symbol-matching algorithm that determines win conditions

  • Integrated servo control to trigger mouth-opening and candy release

  • Handled wiring, testing, and debugging across the full electromechanical system

Core contribution: converting rule-based logic — randomness, probability, matching: into precise physical motion through code.

Internal layout sketch

Early component & wiring plan

System Design

On button press, the sequence balances genuine unpredictability with logic that stays legible and satisfying:

1. Two stepper motors independently rotate the eyes in ¼-revolution increments, up to 2 full revolutions - 8 discrete symbol positions per eye

2. A random value per motor is mapped to a symbol position via modulus-based logic; the remainder sets the final resting symbol

3. Matching symbols on both eyes trigger a servo motor to open the mouth

4. The mouth holds open 2 seconds to dispense candy, then closes automatically

The Build

Reflection

This project sharpened my ability to bridge software logic and physical systems by translating computational randomness into tangible motion, and coordinating multiple motors with tight timing precision.
It deepened my interest in physical computing as a storytelling medium, where code doesn't just run in the background, but directly shapes how someone moves through and experiences a moment.

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