The Sock Matcher 5000
This idea has been brought to life
Mathew's idea was made real by a team of enthused makers at the Making Rooms in Blackburn. Matching socks can indeed be one of the most frustrating way to spend a Saturday morning. Therefore it's a real pleasure to see the sock matcher 5000 in action (because it does work!), recognising the colours of each sock and matching them! Genius!
They said,
'We picked this idea because it's a problem we all struggle with on a daily basis! It's a great idea, but it's also applicable to more than just socks, this idea could be adapted to sort and match all sorts of objects.
We've loved working on this project, there's so many different machines and processes being used to build the sock matcher. We're using the laser cutters, 3D printers and the circuit board milling machine, even the vinyl cutter for the logo!
The Sock Matcher 5000 is being driven by a Raspberry Pi. The Pi Camera will detect when it sees a sock, then identify the sock colour and rotate the sorting plate to the assigned sock box. The Pi will then drive motors to move the sock conveyor belt so the sock drops through the funnel'.
Check out their maker blog to find out more!
Maker blog entries
We picked this idea because it's a problem we all struggle with on a daily basis! It's a great idea, but it's also applicable to more than just socks, this idea could be adapted to sort and match all sorts of objects.
The Sock Matcher 5000 is being driven by a Raspberry Pi. The Pi Camera will detect when it sees a sock, then identify the sock colour and rotate the sorting plate to the assigned sock box. The Pi will then drive motors to move the sock conveyor belt so the sock drops through the funnel.
We've loved working on this project, there's so many different machines and processes being used to build The Sock Matcher 5000. We used the laser cutters and the 3D printers, even the vinyl cutter for the logo!
What our experts think!
This could solve one of the great clothing problems of our age, Matthew. I wonder how many single socks there are in the world now? Well, there won’t be any in 2030! I wonder if it could do gloves too?