How do you make a better mouse trap? Easy add some electronics to it and shake well… Check out the results.

“A bait will be placed inside the trap with a hair trigger originally designed for Humpa the Robot (a story for another day), connected to the inputs of a PIC microcontroller board, which is in turn connected to a stepper motor controller. Both the pic board and motor controller were conceived a number of years previously. The intention was for them to be general purpose and modular. They have controlled a variety of gadgets including robots, LCDs and hydroponics controllers; but this is not their tale. Other than to mention, it was the frustration and monotony of fabricating these utility boards which set me off on my CNC quest in the first place.

Triggering the PIC will rotate the stepper a set number of steps which should, in theory block Noel’s escape and voila: the kids have a new pet for Christmas; Noel gets a reprieve; Hopefully you all get some cheap entertainment; And I get to escape for indeterminately long spells into the garage over the festive season. Genius!”

Via: Make