Rokenbok

Basics

• A Construction Toy from ~1990s
• Mad some construction aspects like lego etc, but it's main "thing" was the rc controlled vehicles
• Various ones:
  • A Forklift
  • An Earth Mover / Bulldozer
  • A M o n o r a i l
  • A Crane
  • A "Street Sweeper" which uses a foam roller to collect the marble like balls that are the "product" being moved around / sorted (these would be the core of the "refinery game" i want to design for this)
• Fell apart, and company is mostly dead
• Similar to the Models of OSE Devices , and can be used as a stepping stone to get to that

Phases of work

Phase 1

• Hacking the "smart port" on the rokenbok rc tower
• Mess around with that for a bit

Phase 2

• CAD of the system
• Modify to be more 3D Print-able if needed

Phase 3

• Make OSE Models in a similar style that are compatible with the Rokenbok System

Refinery Game

• Make a Beam Break (or camera for color as well...) sensor based ball counter inline with the "chutes"
• Use this in a "sell" module to sell the red / blue ones
• Could also add in a green or yellow "pollution" marble akin to Sulfur (Re Flue Gas Desulfurization / Hydrodesulfurization )
  • This would introduce difficulty (they could interlock and clog pipes, or make "contaminated" sales invalid or even fined etc)
  • Also it would encourage upgrading from a simple counter, to a counter+color detector etc
• The sold / disposed of marbles would go back to the "mine" / "oil well" (depending on how it gets designed)
• Wells could dry up and require Well Rework etc which could cost the fake currency etc
• Spills could have fines (which could vary based on difficulty, time in game (harder as you go), or how long they are left up etc
• Silos could be used, especially if doing a multiplayer setup (or just complex computer, with supply/demand/price variations) to do a "pump and dump" of sorts!
• Also vehicles would have to be bought, or the factory is less instruction set rigid design, moreso "see how you can best set it up"
• All in all it takes the (still fun, but especially after a while) Sisyphean base "game" and turns it into something akin to the Computer Game (Moreso Boardgame, but on a computer) Turmoil
  • At the same time it teaches
    • Mechatronics (Could even build the vehicles as a kit, or design/program your own etc)
    • Problem Solving and to an extent the thought processes behind Lean Manufacturing (How can i optimize this system, and so on)
    • Could tie in Programming
    • Also can link it to real life stuff like Bio-Refineries or Heavy Equipment Operation
    • Thus could "plant seeds" for what the kids can think about / know is possible
    • Also could be used for training, although dedicated Heavy Equipment Simulators or operating equipment in a safe Heavy Equipment Training Area type thing would most likely be better

External Links

• The Wikipedia Page on Rokenbok
• An article on how to mod rokenbok
• A Reddit Post on a USB to "Rokenbok SmartPort" adapter (uses a small fpga) -supposedly doable with a standard microprocessor
  • A Followup on the above project post is archived so even thread necromancy can't save it. Currently reaching out to the person on their design.