It’s a pity that M&Ms are not sorted and sold in single-color bags, but that’s no reason to despair. The following M&M dispenser is able to arrange them by color, and what more, it is powered by LEGO bricks.
Some people would swear on their holiest belongings that different-colored M&Ms have a different tastes. Others will claim this whole thing is just a myth and that it is the placebo effect that takes over people’s mind. The one who imagined the following mechanism seems to be from the former category. Sadly, not much is known about him, just that he goes by the name Nxt1engineer on YouTube and that he is Dutch. Seeing his previous LEGO creations on his channel, all of them apparently from a series called Lego Mindstorms NXT, I can only say one thing: I would love to see more such engineers in the real world.
The LEGO M&M dispenser seems to be perfect for the Christmas. Even the Dutch engineer suggests that in the clip. The entire mechanism is showcased with a techno version of “Jingle Bells” in the background. Apparently, the dispenser makes use of tone-detecting sensors to tell the M&Ms apart. In the beginning, the colorful button-shaped candies are placed at the top. Upon detecting their color by using the aforementioned sensors, the candies are placed in vertical racks that empty themselves when filling up.
What I don’t get is why sort the candies if at the end, when the racks are emptied, the M&Ms get mixed up again. I’m not saying that the Dutch engineer did not do a good job, but considering the output, I’d say there is room for improvement.
Considering that there are a lot of people out there who like both LEGO and M&Ms, I wonder if they would buy such a sorting machine for Christmas, either for themselves or for their children. I am pretty sure that this project was just a one-off and that the Dutch engineer is not thinking of mass-producing such a device. Even if he did, it would be really difficult for him to establish a price for a LEGO M&M sorter as innovative and unique as this one.
Do you know any other sorting devices or mechanisms, in general, that are powered by LEGO bricks? If so, which one spiked your interest the most?
If you liked this post, please check the M&M Christmas ornaments and the DIY LEGO candy machine.
