The chicken machine was not my own project - I was a subcontractor, paid only to do the firmware coding. It was, in fact, my very first consulting gig! ;)
And it was a great success. Several units were made and they made the rounds of fairs and shopping malls. There is something about a person's pride that makes it difficult for him to walk away after being beaten by a chicken at Tic-Tac-Toe. The temptation is too great to keep putting money into the machine until you beat the chicken, or at least until there is a draw.
As I programmed it, the firmware had two settings, selectable by a switch in the back. One setting guaranteed "Chicken will never lose." The worst case for the chicken would be a draw. The other setting was "Chicken may lose," and interestingly enough, the chicken seemed to win more often on that setting... :D
I too have enjoyed our conversation, and look forward to more! ;)
To land a consulting gig normally requires either intimate knowledge of the somebody in the loop, or a sterling reputation. I'd suspect the latter.
Well either way, you've worked on some really interesting projects even if they may not have been your own. ^_^
Hearing more about the chicken project makes it all the more intriguing to me. Very rightly said about pride. The psychology at play will have people demanding repeat chances until they manage.
I will certainly be seeing you around. Thank you for sharing your experiences! :c)