The main flaw in yesterday's rice dispenser: rice.
For the pushing mechanism to work properly, it needed laser precision and frictionless surfaces to work perfectly. The pusher was meant to slide along the top of the tray, pushing the rice toward the slope. Once it was in the slope, no problem. It was getting the rice to the slope that became the problem, because stupid rice kept on blocking the slider.
Lesson learned. Gravity works, overly complicated sliding mechanisms to not. So, let'e use more gravity. Here's the new design.
The black and yellow bit is one big slope, dumping the rice into the second sloped bit (you can't see it but it's there), and finally into that other black and yellow bit that has a motorised uppy-downy mechanism (we are super technical).
Will this one work? Find out at our next group meet up!