Counting change is a great way to instruct children about mathematics and money, but it grows tiresome for those of us that have passed the first grade. Thus, a device ought to the job, as [Daniele Tartaglia] demonstrates.
A vibrating motor is used to shake a hopper full of coins, letting them fall through a feeder slot into the device at a stable rate. They then go through a size-based sorter, which flicks the coins into a different channel depending on their physical dimensions. The coins are counted through infrared sensors wired up to an Arduino, and then pass through a rather beautiful maze on their way down to sorting bins at the bottom of the machine.
It’s a tidy build, and a great thing to have if you regularly find yourself needing to count change. We haven’t seen too numerous coin counters before, but we have seen a laundromat given an overhaul with some hacker skills. video after the break.