Since the ball was being removed from the roulette wheel, a new method of selecting a specific number needed to be developed. This prevents the wheel from landing in between two numbers.
This method needed to be silent, as the ball was initially removed due to the activating noise it made whilst spinning around the wheel.
The mechanisms that were researched included:
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- ‘Wheel of fortune’ mechanism
- Magnets
- Ratchet mechanism
‘Wheel of fortune’ mechanism
Method
The elasticated pointer pushes against the pegs visible around the wheel. When the elasticated pointer has more force pushing back on the pegs than the momentum of the wheel, the pointer stops the wheel on a specific section.
Advantages
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- It is very simple
- It works very effectively and never fails to select a specific number
Disadvantages
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- It creates lots of noise whilst spinning
Magnets
Method
The bottom section of the wheel has magnets on each section/number. The top section has only one magnet. The attracting sides of the magnets are facing, so that when the wheel loses momentum, the top magnet and a single bottom magnet lock onto one another.
Advantages
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- Completely silent
- Selects a specific number
Disadvantages
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- If some magnets are stronger than others then the wheel becomes unfair
Ratchet
Method
A ratchet mechanism could also be used to select a number. This behaves much like the wheel of fortune, however it is directional.
Advantages
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- Always stops on a specific number
Disadvantages
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- Makes lots of noise
- Slightly more complex than the other methods
Chosen method
Magnets were chosen as the final method. Although they could potentially be less reliable than the other methods, the fact that they create less noise is more of a priority for this specific project. By acquiring magnets from certified suppliers, it should be possible to design the wheel with precision, allowing it to pick numbers completely randomly.
Spaces to hold the magnets were therefore designed into the two conical wheel sections. This allowed for the magnets to be evenly distributed, making the wheel completely random.
Technical implications
Due to the COVID-19 outbreak, the magnet mechanism could not be tested at full-size. It was noted that the magnets are very close together and therefore the top magnet may get caught between two of the bottom magnets, failing to select a specific number. If this was the case, other methods would be iterated.
