Automatic mahjong table
Automatic mahjong tables are designed to handle tile shuffling and wall building, saving time. Some are even able to keep score and produce starting hands.
Mechanism
An automatic mahjong table is table with a circular drum underneath the table surface. At the very center of the table surface is an interface to trigger tile shuffling, the raising of the tile walls, and the dice roll. In front of each player, a long trap door opens and closes for the tile walls. More advanced tables even have additional trap doors to give players their starting hands. Other than that, players use the normal procedure for dealing tiles.
Tile shuffling is accomplished inside a chamber with a rotating "floor". The tiles are moved around and eventually they move into ramps in the four slots. There, the walls are built with mechanisms stacking the tiles. To ensure tile alignment, the tiles contain magnets. This allows the machine to place the tiles face down for wall building. Once stacked, players simply press a button to raise the walls up to the table surface. For expediency, automatic tables come with two sets of tiles, with different colored backs. During gameplay, players play with one set of tiles, while the machine shuffles and stack the walls.
External links
- Inner workings of an Aotomo table
- A Chinese based company
- A US based company
- AMOS brand