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Programmatically Controlled Juicer

An anonymous reader writes "The Juicer is a wirelessly controlled, programmable juice maker which will mix each ingredient of a recipe to the exact proportions every time. The Juicer will take a recipe selection serially via either the keyboard or the wireless remote and dispense the juices into the cup below. Force and Photo sensors are incorporated to control the precise pouring. Wireless communication is controlled with two microcontrollers operating at a frequency of 433 MHz. All of this is housed by a big red frame custom made from 4130 steel."

20 of 136 comments (clear)

  1. Start Monday Morning off Right... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Funny

    This thing looks pretty frikkin' sweet. So I could put oranges in one slot, a grape fruit in the other, and pour vodka and ice in the third, and it would make me a fresh squeezed "breakfast smoothie?" I'll take two!

  2. Um by jim_v2000 · · Score: 4, Informative

    It's more of a juice mixer than a juicer. I had envisioned something that took fruit and turned it into juice. This was a bit of a let down.

    --
    Don't take life so seriously. No one makes it out alive.
    1. Re:Um by h4rm0ny · · Score: 4, Funny


      And he looks like this.

      --

      Aide-toi, le Ciel t'aidera - Jeanne D'Arc.
    2. Re:Um by William+Robinson · · Score: 5, Funny
      LOL.

      While we are at jokes, dunno whether this will get modded as offtopic...but could not help without posting this joke.

      Bill worked in a pickle factory. He had been employed there for a number of years when he came home one day to confess to his wife that he had a terrible compulsion. He had an urge to stick his penis into the pickle slicer. His wife suggested that he should see a sex therapist to talk about it, but Bill said he would be too embarrassed. He vowed to overcome the compulsion on his own.

      One day a few weeks later, Bill came home. His wife could see at once that something was seriously wrong. "What's wrong, Bill?" she asked. "Do you remember that I told you how I had this tremendous urge to put my penis into the pickle slicer?" "Oh, Bill, you didn't." "Yes, I did." "My God, Bill, what happened?" "I got fired." "No, Bill. I mean, what happened with the pickle slicer?" "Oh... she got fired too."

      Pretty soon we will see jokes about juice mixer.

    3. Re:Um by mangu · · Score: 4, Insightful
      This was a bit of a let down.


      Same here. I was expecting something like Rube Goldberg's wet dream, what Q builds for 007. I had a mental image of a big thing with several bins containing different fruit. Each would be peeled, cut, squeezed, centrifuged, or whatever is needed to be done to get juice from that particular fruit. Don't forget the combination drill press + bandsaw with robotic feed for the coconuts. The thing should measure the exact amount of juice from each fruit, getting more if needed. Since the amount of juice comes in discrete amounts, the leftover juice would be stored in separate containers, with the date automatically recorded.


      And then, after finally loading that huge page, (congrats to the Cornell server for holding up to the /.ing) what does one get? A measly three plastic jugs on a cheap metal frame... Doh!

  3. Damm it I wanted to buy one! by 2bitcomputers · · Score: 4, Insightful

    I read that story and the first thing I think is, COOL I am buying one. Then I RTFA and find out its just some bored Cornell students with no jobs and too much free time on their hands. Thanks again Slashdot!

    --
    -- Please insert another quarter
    1. Re:Damm it I wanted to buy one! by odano · · Score: 4, Informative

      Its just the BarMonkey without the alcohol (and therefore the fun)

  4. But... by Fyz · · Score: 3, Funny

    Will this be the kind, benign wireless juice making machine, or the bad-mouthed, citrus-raping kind?

  5. Watching the juice all day by bosz · · Score: 5, Funny

    Hmmm wireless. Now I only need someone (or something) to bring the juice to me.

  6. Too mechanical ? by nbharatvarma · · Score: 3, Interesting

    Mod me down, but I don't really approve mechanized perfection. Somehow making juice with exact proportions everytime frightens me.. There's got to be a little human in it. Juice may be a small thing now, but as we go on trying to make perfect stuff using machines and not with human hands... Kind of reminds me a little like Stepford's Wives.

    --
    ... and I shall strike upon thee with great vegeance, furious anger and a slightly positive karma.
    1. Re:Too mechanical ? by HyperChicken · · Score: 5, Funny

      There's got to be a little human in it.
      Soylent juice?!
      --
      Free of Flash! Free of Flash!
  7. Google sez... by Froe · · Score: 3, Funny
    The Juicer is... the same machine that is also running the marathon for two reasons: to get an extra paycheck next year.

    Google Talk id 200

  8. Wireless Bartender - Only $299 by DanteLysin · · Score: 4, Funny

    The Wireless Bartender. Yes, even you can host coolest parties. Wireless Bartender not only comes with a comprehensive list of drinks, but allows you to create new and exciting drinks.

    Coming to a frat party near you.

  9. Obligatory... by xanthines-R-yummy · · Score: 4, Funny
    From the "Ethics" Section:

    "Again, safety was always a concern from the start. We did not compensate anyone's health, reputation, or employment during our creation of the Juicer."

    Safety? What was their test drink? The Pan-Galactic Gargle Blaster?

    Sorry, couldn't resist. Just saw the movie!

  10. Seems self defeating. by zwilliams07 · · Score: 3, Funny

    A juice machine that mixes juice for you. I could see some applications towards commercial places selling "custom juices." But its pretty damn self defeating idea for personal use. Most people that have juicers are trying to get healthy, whats the point if you sit on your ass and make juice from the couch?

    Humanity is too fixated on making physical activity easier and less stressing on the body. Seems like a bad idea. Next thing you know there'll be a WiFi robot that takes dumps for you.

  11. nice to see the poster did not RTFA by Lumpy · · Score: 5, Informative

    The atmel controller is NOT running at 433mhz. the wireless link is transmitting at 433mhz. the controllers are they typical OTS 20mhz controllers and this could easily be done with any 4mhz pic.

    There really is nothing too complicated with this setup, elegant use of a manufacturered bottle/container that solves one of the engineering problems, but the rest of it is fairly basic in design and implimentation.

    It certianly would add a tad bit of "coolness" at a party, but as far as being "food grade" and not grossing out some people by the exposed troughs that carry the "juices" to the cup. Hoses attacted to the bottles would be cleaner and have a higher acceptance lever with some of the more "picky" people in this world.

    On a side note, it would have been easier but not cheaper to get older pepsi or coke pre-mix containers with fittings. add CO2 to all the containers and a few of the food grade solenoids from a post-mix dispenser and you would have something highly sanitary and sanatisable, hold much larger amounts of "juice" and sustain a long life.

    Outside the CO2 regulator you could get everything you need for around $300.00 including a filled 25 pound CO2 cylinder.

    --
    Do not look at laser with remaining good eye.
  12. I have to ask... by spagetti_code · · Score: 4, Insightful
    What does it take to get a story rejected around here?

    I'm sure to get modded down/censored, but I really want to know? A story about a machine for pouring juice?!?!?! I mean come on... Stuff for nerds, stuff that snores.

    Hows about we just pop over to see what Computerworld has on the boil...

    • New N1 grid s/w from Sun
    • Virtualization code directly added to windows
    • "A Pragmatic Approach to Implementing ITIL Using ProactiveNet" - jeeze, I'm not really sure what *thats* about, but it sure does sound more interesting that mixing juice.
    And what about google news Sci/Tech?
    • Astronaut comments on NASA delaying flight
    • Life on mars
    • Tiger
    Nope - I'm a loyal slashdotter, and I think I'll stick around to see if soommmethinggggg goooooooodzzzzz zzzzzz zzzzzzzzzzzz zzzZZZZZZZzzzZZ ZZZzzZZZZzzZZZZzzzZZZZ
  13. Aesthetically Pleasing? by cno3 · · Score: 4, Funny

    Moreover, it cost less and allowed us to spend more of the allotted budget on making the frame structure more aesthetically pleasing to the eye.

    I was going to comment on how close they came to this goal, but then based on some of the case mods I've seen, the torn-label Poland Spring bottles and electrical tape contraption does seem to come pretty close to a geek's idea of eye-candy.

    Now if only they had spent a little more to line the insides of the plastic bottles with blue neon...

  14. Wireless is pointless here by Ancient_Hacker · · Score: 3, Funny

    What's the point of having a wireless link-- eventually you have to go to it to get the drink. What it needs is a radio direction-finder and a throwing arm. Caps for the drinks too.

  15. "Look, the sky is falling!" by Thranduil · · Score: 3, Funny

    Wireless communication is controlled with two microcontrollers operating at a frequency of 433 MHz.

    The last thing I need to explain to my older neighbors is that my juicer crashed their wireless weather station.