Towers of Hanoi robot

Img 8116

Tzywen writes -

Towers of Hanoi is a game that challenges the mind. There is a version for the iPhone where you use your fingers to move the disks. Usually it takes a long time to play because with 8 disks (last level), the minimum moves that you need to make to solve the puzzle is 255. Building a robot to solve that puzzle for you is way faster so that was what I did. Robots are stupidly fast.
Towers of Hanoi robot - Link.

Posted by Phillip Torrone | Feb 15, 2008 08:30 AM
Gaming, Robotics | Permalink | Comments (5) | Email This | Bookmark and Share | Digg this!

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Posted by: Magnin on February 15, 2008 at 9:50 AM

While cool, Tower of Hanoi is actually a really simple game once you understand the algorithm.

I'd be interested to see the code and how efficiently he's captured the algorithm.

He still doesn't have the high-score... what do you want to bet the guy who does used a software macro on the iphone itself to automate the touches?


Posted by: The Oracle on February 15, 2008 at 10:46 AM

Cute project, and I like the way you hacked the relays into solenoids.

I find it funny that you made a robot to play the game on a computer though, I was hoping to see it play with physical discs. As Magnin says, it's software, use a software robot.

It does make me think about using your idea on a machine that has physical buttons and connecting your controller to the physical buttons without solenoids.

Also Hanoi is really simple the motions are mindless for a person. I'd like to see something like this with a game that's difficult for a human but simple for a computer.


Posted by: computerwiz_222 on February 15, 2008 at 12:43 PM

how did you use those rods to control the ipod. It senses a property of human skin...


Posted by: samurai1200 on February 15, 2008 at 2:53 PM

property of human skin? the iphone (as well as most screens) use capacitive touch sensors. he just put water and paperclips.


Posted by: tomvons on February 15, 2008 at 9:53 PM


In the first part, I show the robot solving all 7 levels at 5 moves per second. After a few closeups, there's a short clip of the robot running at 7 moves per second. It managed to solve the first few levels but then errors started popping up and it was unable to finish the whole game.


The fact that the phone kept up for as long as it did is impressive (to me anyway). Keep in mind that it takes 2 touches to make one move.


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