I am working on an idea for an automated trading card game deck box and playmat. The general idea is that with the push of a button, either hard-wired or by remote, the lid of the deck box would open and the playmat, which is attached to the deck box, will automatically unroll. I was thinking of using muscle wire for the playmat, and pistons for the deck box lid. I already have some ideas about the overall design, but I am looking for some suggestions on use of specific parts. I am working on a very limited budget, so please keep that in mind when making your suggestions.
any suggestions on how to keep the mat from rolling back up after I unroll it?
I just had an idea where as unrolling the mat is mechanical, but rolling it back up is controlled by a small motor and some cables.
The mat should be done mechanically, think of the design of a measuring tape (slightly curved) and try to create a design that will have the mat always want to unfurl naturally. For the lid, you can get away with a small servo motor, inexpensive controller (you will also need the programmer) and push button.
There you go. Its easier to roll a mat than unroll it.