Pollinator, my home made Ice Cold Beer alike arcade game is going to be developed into a kit version so you can have one too!
I’ve created a Discord server to assist in the project so if you think you’d be interested in a kit or if you just want to follow along, check it out!
The following is a reprint of a Blog about the creation of the original ‘Pollinator’ I wrote for Maker Faire 7 years ago.
Pollinator: Making a Machine for Maker Faire
By James Watt, Mar 13, 2018
Hello everyone, Glasgow is getting a Mini Maker Faire! How exciting is that? To celebrate, the team thought it’d be great to invite local makers to write a few words about their builds and motivations for making. Since I’d never ask anyone to do anything I wouldn’t do myself, introducing “Pollinator”, my latest build.
Building Pollinator
So I’m building a machine. I’m always building something. I suppose people have all kinds of reasons to build. They may want to change the world with some amazing innovation. Maybe it’s a living or a hobby. For some of us, it’s a creative impulse—how we express ourselves, how we present ourselves to the world.
I’m no writer. I’m not terribly comfortable in the company of other people, but I do have that extrovert streak. Making things is how I show off. I think a lot of artists are showoffs at heart.
A Maker’s Beginnings
I think you can spot makers like us early. It starts with breaking things. It grows into taking things apart to see how they work. I’m sure it’s really annoying when it’s your things.
I’m really sorry I pulled the hands off Granny’s clock, Mum. But the cogs and gears made the best unofficial upgrade to my Lego set. I’m sorry I broke the TV too, Dad. I chipped the screen of our black-and-white set with a stray marble. The tube slowly gassed out, and the picture grew smaller and fainter over the space of a week or two.
Yes, I got in so much trouble, but once the picture faded to oblivion, my dad and I spent a day in the garage taking it to bits and making electromagnets from the salvaged wires. This is one of the fondest childhood memories I have of my dad, so yes, making things is an extremely positive thing for me.
Oh, and we rented a COLOUR TV after that. So it was a double win.
Cathode Ray Tube Watch? Why Not?
Yes, I’m still taking black-and-white TV sets apart because… you joke, “Wouldn’t it be cool to have a smartwatch with a cathode ray tube screen?” Then you think… actually, I really want that to exist. And you realize, you have a new maker goal.
(I should probably point out that large coiled springs and TV tubes can both be dangerous, so don’t give ’em to your kids to take apart. This was the ‘70s after all. We didn’t know any better.)
Anyway, the cathode ray tube wristwatch isn’t the subject of this blog—it’s a distraction. I never make one thing at a time; I’ve always got several pieces of nonsense on the go at once.
No, this blog is about “POLLINATOR”, my Christmas project. (Yes, I know it’s March.)
The Inspiration Behind Pollinator
I love old arcade machines, both video games and the earlier electromechanical marvels. I had the idea of using Arduinos and microcontrollers to create arcade game sculptures—like electromechanical games, but using electronics to take some of the work out of building the incredibly complex and cunning mechanical brains these machines depended on.
I was also inspired by Tim Hunkin’s wonderful and whimsical amusement machines.
I’d played a game called Ice Cold Beer at a few game shows and discovered it was based on a traditional pub game. A ball is dragged up a playfield, covered in holes, with two strings. It’s pretty simple compared to some arcade games, but it’s very addictive and fun.
The Build Process
The design actually sat in a sketchbook for a couple of years. But at the end of last year, I was messing around with 3D printers a lot.
I realized I was looking, not only at the tool to build Pollinator, but also at the mechanics I required.
I bought a bunch of 3D printer parts and fired up my own 3D printer to do all the difficult bits. But the majority of the material came from B&Q and scraps from the garage.
Pollinator is basically:
- A box with holes drilled in it
- A bunch of switches
- Two linear actuators (like those found on 3D printers)
- A suspended bar with a ball bearing balanced on it
Collaborating with Other Makers
I really enjoy collaborating on projects like this.
When a friend suggested ‘flowers’ as a theme, the game quickly became about a bee, moving from flower to flower (Pollinator, get it?) and avoiding the carnivorous plants (holes).
Expanding on the idea, we had to include the frantic “Flight of the Bumblebee” music, which gave me an excuse to rope in another pal who does amazing things with microprocessors and music.
Sound effects: covered.
I have one more collaborator: my mum.
She paints. I had a blank playfield. She likes painting flowers… how could I say no?
One Van Gogh sunflower number for the playfield, thank you very much.
Where Pollinator Will Be Showcased
Pollinator is still a work in progress. I’ve got some interesting plans for the controls, and the code still needs a lot of finessing. But it’s playing!
It’s been a great deal of fun to put together with my fellow makers.
It’s going to appear at:
- Edinburgh Mini Maker Faire
- Newcastle Maker Faire (maybe!)
- Glasgow Mini Maker Faire in July
(Assuming there’s room for it!)
Join the Glasgow Maker Faire Adventure!
So the Glasgow Maker Faire adventure begins.
I hope you enjoyed this inaugural ramble. We’d like to bring you regular blogs from Glasgow makers, so if you’ve got an interesting project or story you’d like to share, please give us a shout, and we’ll post it up!
📩 Contact: James G Watt – jim@clockworkrobot.com