My friend and fellow engineering, Loren Wyard-Scott, re-introduced me to pinball machines a few years ago. His enthusiasm for these machines got me thinking that they might make good platforms for engineering capstone projects. So, for the past couple of years I've been getting my capstone students to work on acquiring older machines and updating their electronics. Modern machines are located in bars, restaurants and arcades, making them very accessible to my students. Meanwhile, second hand machines and parts are available from a number of Canadian vendors.
I've posted some photos on BlueSky. Log in to Bluesky to view the link. Otherwise, you can get a preview here:
James Andrew Smith is a Professional Engineer and Associate Professor in the Electrical Engineering and Computer Science Department of York University’s Lassonde School, with degrees in Electrical and Mechanical Engineering from the University of Alberta and McGill University. Previously a program director in biomedical engineering, his research background spans robotics, locomotion, human birth, music and engineering education. While on sabbatical in 2018-19 with his wife and kids he lived in Strasbourg, France and he taught at the INSA Strasbourg and Hochschule Karlsruhe and wrote about his personal and professional perspectives. James is a proponent of using social media to advocate for justice, equity, diversity and inclusion as well as evidence-based applications of research in the public sphere. You can find him on Twitter. You can find him on BlueSky. Originally from Québec City, he now lives in Toronto, Canada.