In the event you’re discovering that you simply get caught together with your hand within the cookie jar a lot too usually (who doesn’t this time of yr?), then you definately may wish to take a look at Milos Rasic’s newest mission. Anyone that wishes a cookie from Rasic’s Good Cookie Jar goes to need to work for it! The one solution to carry the lid and get a candy deal with is to go for a run first. Personally, I’m nonetheless attempting to determine if that’s a good suggestion or merciless and weird punishment.
The Good Cookie Jar takes on an issue many people know all too properly throughout the colder months: loads of snacks and fewer excuses to get outdoors. Rasic’s answer is as intelligent as it’s ruthless. The jar appears completely peculiar on the surface, however contained in the lid is a small locking mechanism that refuses to budge till its proprietor meets a predefined operating aim.
An summary of the design (📷: Milos Rasic)
This isn’t Rasic’s first try at combining health and confectionery denial. He initially constructed the same system greater than six years in the past, again earlier than he had entry to a 3D printer. That early model relied on hand-cut plywood, improvised metallic components, and a a lot bulkier design. The brand new iteration is smaller, cleaner, and way more refined, due to fashionable microcontrollers and customized 3D-printed elements.
The system is centered round a compact mechanical lock pushed by a tiny SG90 servo motor. As a substitute of straightforward linear pistons, the redesigned lid makes use of small gears with swinging arms that stretch outward to carry the lid firmly in place. The entire electronics are neatly packed into the lid itself, together with an ESP32-S3 microcontroller for Wi-Fi connectivity, a chargeable battery, and a charger module.
On the software program aspect, the Good Cookie Jar depends on the Strava health platform to determine whether or not you’ve earned your snack. The ESP32 runs a small net server and it periodically polls the Strava API to verify the person’s most up-to-date exercise. As soon as the recorded distance meets or exceeds the goal, the servo springs into motion and unlocks the lid. To preserve battery life and keep away from an annoying buzz, the code attaches the servo solely when it wants to maneuver.
Rasic has offered loads of particulars if you happen to’d prefer to construct your personal Good Cookie Jar. However be warned: if you would like what’s inside, you’d higher lace up your trainers first.