US Patent 7857318 Crane game with random motion crane actuation

An arcade type crane game includes a crane that moves in a two dimensional random motion over the playing field of the prizes without control from the player. After a period of the random motion, a pick up device stops its random motion and lowers in the location where it stops and attempts to pick up a prize below. In the case of a vacuum pick up device, the vacuum is lowered and acquires (or attempts to acquire) the nearest object below the vacuum. In the case of a claw type crane, the claws actuate after being lowered to the level of the prizes to acquire (or attempt to acquire) a prize below. By removing the controls from the player, various elements of skill have been removed from the game and replaced by chance.