Tippy Bucket

This is a tipping bucket mechanism that can be fitted out with a few small, round magnets and a reed switch or Hall effect sensor to count the tips. It is designed for measuring hydroponic nutrients but has other uses.

As the bucket fills, the centre of gravity creeps towards the pivot until the whole thing suddenly unbalances and dumps its contents. Now empty, the bucket's centre of gravity is once more to the rear, and so it tips back again, ready to receive more liquid.

A video of one in action being controlled by an Arduino can be seen on YouTube here http://youtu.be/EZ2_Gmmt1ww