Ice Cream with Robots

in: robots, one inch punch

This ice cream dispenser was built in collaboration with Tarlow Design Not only was it a delicious project, but it lead to the creation of the One Inch Punch Controller!

The One Inch Punch is a common serial bus controller with only one square inch of footprint, with built in motor, servo, and secondary serial I/O. Even alone, the One Inch Punch is powerful enough to control individual tools, such as a drill press, winch, or hopper. The possibilities of integrating many together in automation are nearly endless.

We used the One Inch Punch in a consulting partnership with Tarlow Design, also based in San Rafael, to develop an ice cream dispenser. This build used 30 One Inch Punch controllers to run servos, steppers, and limit switches in order to automate a machine to pump soft serve ice cream, and dress it with a selection of toppings.

We look forward to seeing more of these in production.