Couples know the struggle of deciding where to eat and how it can turn into a marathon of suggestions, leaving everyone hungry. The Decisioninator is a charming tabletop device that takes the wheel—literally—and settles debates with a slot machine’s flair.
Makerinator, a software engineer with a passion for automation, created the Decisioninator after one too many dinner disputes with his spouse. Inspired by a shirt-folding board that protected him from his wife’s Kmart-style folding standards, he saw an opportunity to optimize another aspect of married life. The result is a small machine, about the size of a small arcade game, with a bright display and a wooden shell that combines vintage charm with modern edge.
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At the heart of the Decisioninator is a Raspberry Pi 4, which is paired with a lightweight operating system called Raspbian Lite that skips the desktop interface for a lean command-line setup. This frees up resources for the real magic: a Flutter app built with the flutter-pi library. Flutter is typically used for mobile apps and brings smooth animations as well as a polished interface to the Decisioninator’s DSI display, where restaurant logos spin like a slot machine reel. The Flame game engine handles the wheel’s spin and random selection.
Makerinator chose laser-cut wood over 3D printing to create a classic look with a modern touch. The pieces, cemented together using corner clamps and a generous amount of 5-minute epoxy, form a boxy frame held together by magnets for easy access. Makerinator admits his skills need work, but a coat of black spray paint and sublimated artwork smooth out the rough edges. The sublimation process, where designs are heat-pressed onto the wood, adds vibrant graphics.
A 12V power supply powers the LEDs, a buck converter steps down to 5V for the Raspberry Pi. Makerinator used the GPIO pins to power the Pi, no extra power brick needed, and connected the DSI display via a ribbon cable to a breakout board. When the cable wouldn’t fit in the casing, a rotary tool came to the rescue, carving out space in a flash. The Decisioninator’s buttons, wired through the GPIO, allow you to spin or switch modes.
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