Problem, build and result — with the detail that doesn't fit on the card.
- Problem
- Clients who knew us for 3D printing and prototyping arrived with an ambitious idea: fully automating a minuta — the Salvadoran shaved ice with flavored syrups and tamarind jelly you find on every corner on a hot day. Machines existed to shave ice; none existed that did the whole process, from on-screen selection to a served minuta, with no person in between.
- Build
- We designed a prototype and three production versions — two fully autonomous and one compact semi-autonomous for events. The machine makes shaved ice on the spot from an internal purified-water reservoir, doses syrups and jelly to the customer's touchscreen selection, dispenses the spoon, protects the interior with an automatic door and takes cash payments. Everything came out of the shop: mechanical, electrical and electronic design, four degrees of freedom, up to ten dosing pumps, hardware-revision-aware firmware in C, and a Linux mini server with a React frontend, remotely reachable over WiFi or cellular for analytics, maintenance and updates. The system is patented at the Centro Nacional de Registros.
- Result
- Seven machines built and delivered: one exported to the United States, four for Salvadoran malls and two compact versions working private events. We keep maintaining the machines in operation. A street-corner treat turned into an engineered product — with its own patent.
The clients knew us for something else: 3D printing and prototyping. They came back with a bigger idea — fully automating a minuta, the Salvadoran shaved ice with flavored syrups and tamarind jelly that shows up on every corner when it's hot. Machines existed to shave ice; none existed that did the entire process, from on-screen selection to a served minuta, with no person in between. Nobody had thought of automating the whole treat.
The project started in 2022 and the prototype was running in 2023. From there came three production versions: Revision 2 in 2023 — the first complete machine, which was exported to the United States — and in 2024, Revisions 3 and 4: the former fully autonomous for malls, the latter compact and semi-autonomous, built for events. Each revision learned from the last; the hardware-revision-aware firmware serves them all.
Inside the machine is the whole shop: in-house mechanical, electrical and electronic design, four degrees of freedom of motion, up to ten dosing pumps, a spoon dispenser, an automatic door protecting the interior, cash payment and an internal purified-water reservoir — the machine needs no water line, which is why it can live in a mall. A Linux mini server with a React frontend takes the orders and talks to the controller over the internal network; over WiFi or cellular, the fleet is monitored, maintained and updated remotely. The system is patented at the Centro Nacional de Registros. The machines shipped as a blank slate: the Yummy Ice brand and its artwork are the client's.
Seven machines built and delivered across four revisions: one exported to the United States, four destined for Salvadoran malls and two compact units working private events — and the machines in operation still receive our maintenance. 3D-printed parts, CNC panels and structure, electronics, firmware, server and cloud: every line of this shop is inside a machine that sells a childhood treat. Which is why this project explains us best.
MECHATRONICS · FIRMWARE · CNC · 3D PRINTING
