This isn't my exact use case, but it's similar.
I want to be able to read which tile the wheel lands on and use it digitally.
So what I was thinking is that I could put an RFID reader on the back (selected landing location) and then tag each of the tiles so there's data associated with them.
For my used case, it wouldn't need to to automatically read the tag it lands on. I could have a separate button that is pressed to 'read' so that data is captured. If that's even possible with RFID?
Would this work? What problems might there be with a setup like this? Or might there be a better solution...
Any help greatly appreciated!
Well, that is certainly a fascinating approach. No moving parts (or at least, no contact). It probably would work. The big problem is when a peg is resting against the reed as in your diagram.
Scratching my head to think of an alternative. Optical sensors (four) with sectors coded, or reed switches and magnets on the back come to mind.
Ahhh, this makes sense. Thanks! In my use case the wheel would be turned manually to 'guess' an answer and then with some other button or similar mechanism, the guess would be compared against the answer. I think either solution could work in this case.
I'd go RGB color reader. Then write the code such that when the reader detects more than the number of pie pieces (whatever you call it), it represents at minimum one full spin (like Wheel of Fortune, know what I mean?) then once it stops (gets the same color read for more than some number of seconds), that's the one you landed on.
Oh yeah, and if you're so inclined, make it two stage. You could have it read RFID cards like you want to, but as player identifiers, and when your partner scans in, regardless of where it ends up, s/he wins "free massage". At least that's how I'd do it
