Overview
A box that switches itself off once turned on.. made for the fun of it.
Problem
To make a useless machine inspired by online projects—a classic engineering novelty.
Implementation
Since this project didn’t have constraints, I picked a small desk decoration size and drew up some prototypes.
The useless machine works by sending a signal to the Arduino Nano once the switch is powered on, which randomly runs logic for how a Servo with a hook attachment rotates to flick the switch back off.
I initially had a problem where the servo didn’t provide enough torque to turn the switch off, so I shopped around for switches with a lower torque requirement.
I designed the box to be simple to manufacture and clean/discrete, with divots to conceal M3 screws and hidden electronics.
Results
The most difficult aspect was the C++ logic, where I wanted randomized switch-off methods: a quick switch, one that stalls for 5 seconds, and one that pretends to switch then disappears before actually switching. I also wanted the states to handle the switch being turned on mid-motion, using FSM logic.
Ultimately this was just a fun quick project that I thought would be funny given its absurdity.