Automated Coin Sorter & Counter
Primary build contributor & team lead · Class project
Completed class prototype · Grade 12
Leading a Grade 12 class build and coordinating adaptation of a purchased coin-sorter model for Philippine coins, with motor-driven sorting and sensor-based counting.
- 3D printing
- DC motor
- Sensor-based counting
Completed 2024 · Grade 12 class project
The problem
Our class built an automated sorter and counter to reduce the repetitive work of sorting mixed Philippine peso coins.
The starting design
We used a 3D-printable model purchased from Fraens on Etsy. The original design was made for other currencies; the sorting dimensions needed adaptation for Philippine coins. The original concept and model belong to the source designer.
My contribution
I took a primary role in the build and led my classmates toward completion. For the model adjustment, I looked for someone who could edit the file and coordinated that work. My contribution was arranging the adaptation and helping integrate the prototype, rather than personally creating the original model or performing all CAD edits.
The prototype
The class prototype combined a rotating hopper, a DC motor with adjustable speed, denomination-specific openings, sensor-based counting, and a 3D-printed structure. Supported coins included new and earlier ₱1 designs, new and old ₱5 and ₱10 coins, and ₱20 coins.
Feedback
Our professor liked the project. It was a completed class prototype; no measured accuracy or throughput figures are claimed.
What I learned through this project
The experience I take into the next project: technical decisions, practical tradeoffs, and ways of working.
Coordinating a large group
I learned that assigned teams need regular updates so their individual tasks stay connected to the overall build.
Finding the right help
The model adjustment taught me to communicate a specific requirement and find someone with the file-editing skills the project needed.
Staying hands-on as a leader
Taking responsibility for the build taught me to stay involved in integration and progress rather than relying only on task assignments.