The Arduino Claw Machine of Your Childhood Dreams

Perusing the Internet, you can find many versions of old-school gaming cabinets, but not a lot of attention is paid to the venerable “claw machine.” Perhaps the lack of a subtle gambling component via plush toy and candy prizes makes these machines less fun when played at home, though as demonstrated around 2:30 in the video below, the wooden “Super Claw” looks pretty entertaining. One of these gadgets could be a great way to dispense treats, or even toothbrushes if you’re “that house” next Halloween.

This particular arcade-inspired device looks well-built, but reading further, you may note that it’s actually version four. Maybe the difficulty in constructing one is one of the reasons that they aren’t very common in the DIY scene.

Of note is creator Ryan Bates’ stepper motor driver board, which connects to an Arduino Mega via an IDC/IDE cable, cleaning up the required wiring significantly.

It’s available for sale on his page, where you can also find more info on the build itself.