ChocoVault Rewards Your Heath Goals
This device syncs with your Apple Watch to keep your candy locked away until you've earned it.
Who doesn’t like a bit of candy? Perhaps you have some out in a bowl for you and/or guests to grab and snack on. Sure, a piece of candy is a tasty treat, but eating sweets all day isn't great for you. To combat this intermittent calorie intake, Daniel (AKA Coltfisch) built the ChocoVault to lock away candies until you meet certain fitness goals.
The 'Vault uses an ESP32-S2 processor on a custom PCB to control access, interfacing with an Apple Watch via a third-party app over Wi-Fi. Addressable LEDs inside the box coordinate with the watch to show progress, and when the goal is hit, a gearmotor retracts the latches that hold the door shut. The door then pops open via an internal spring-and-linkage setup, and plays a tune to further reward your accomplishment.
The structure of the vault is 3D-printed, along with many of the mechanical parts. It’s designed so that any fasteners relevant to vault access are hidden inside, and components subject to high mechanical stresses are printed so that these stresses are directed along layer lines. Many components are designed to slide into place, making the build process precise and straightforward.
So will this device help Daniel keep in shape? It’s hard to say. One could argue that you could just leave the door open after retrieving some, or even all, of the candy inside. On the other hand, the ChocoVault features a modular design so it’s possible we will see some of the excellent electromechanical components used here in a future project.
