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18. Project Development

This week I worked on completing my final project. I also tried to modify my previous assignments according to the evaluator’s comments, but I have not had much time to do that. Also, there are a few group work assignments that I try to do this weekend.

With regards to the final project development, currently, I have a working prototype, which I think fulfils the minimum requirements for the final project.

What questions need to be answered?

  • Can IMU data be reliably read?

  • Can Unity be interfaced with Seeed Xiao ESP32C3?

  • Can the project be self-powered by a battery without the need to draw power from a serial 5V connection?

  • How can the PCB be fabricated in a way that takes the minimum amount of space? The small form factor is an important issue.

What tasks remain?

For the project, I have fulfilled the minimum requirements. For further, I need to work on these tasks

  • Enabling Bluetooth capability in the thumb controller

  • Using machine learning models to detect 3D gestures (i.e. any interactions which require 6 degrees of freedom)

These two will be most likely done after the Fab Academy.

What has worked? what hasn’t?

What has worked

  • Sensing Thumb orientation with help of IMU data

  • Sending output via ESP32C3 module to Unity3D on the Windows PC via a Serial connection

What hasn’t worked

  • Displaying output to Unity3D via Bluetooth

  • Detecting 3D interactions (i.e. any interactions which require 6 degrees of freedom)

  • There is somewhat notable latency between input reading via IMU sensor, and showing output in Unity3D

What questions need to be resolved?

For the acceptable scope of the project, all questions have been resolved. But it can be improved further by ensuring that latency (from imu sensing to output un Unity, there is non-noticeable latency).

What will happen when?

What have you learned?

  • Principle of Digital Fabrication
  • Electronics Design and Production (i.e. Custom PCB Building)
  • Group work
  • Time management, though I can be a lot better at this.
  • Building a whole end-to-end embedded systems pipeline