Skip to content

19. Project Development

Week assignment

For this week assignment I need to track my progress by answering the following questions:

  • what tasks have been completed, and what tasks remain? 
  • what's working? what's not?
  • what questions need to be resolved?
  • what will happen when?
  • what have you learned?

What tasks have been completed, and what tasks remain? What’s working? what’s not?

During Applications and Implications week I’ve defined how I was going to measure success. These are the things I wanted for the first prototype so I created a list of tasks and crossed them out as I completed them. But each of these points has sub-tasks. So, in most cases, I had to create a list of all the subtasks and needed to cross those out before the main issue. I estimated, most of the time wrong. I considered too much time and or too little (this happened to me with all the ‘code’ things).

Requirements for the device prototype:

  • The device to be able to count the steps when moving and to change to the sad face to the happy face when moving on a single axis.

  • The device should be able to connect with the game device via bluetooth.

  • The device should be able to send the steps and go back to 0.

This is working but can also happen during the game. So, if moving your foot too hard, the device will continue to count steps and then transfer them into the game.

  • The device should be able to control the player on axis X and Y.

  • All components should be inside the 3D printed case and the silicon case.

This is working but as I was going to open and shut the case many times I did I made the inserts a little looser. With the looser inserts it is necessary to add one more screw in the corner opposite to where they are now.

  • The device has to rely on battery power.

This works much better than I expected. The device lasts well over 2 hours on. The only problem is that the fit of the magazine is not perfect and it moves. Which makes it a bit difficult to fit the charger.

Requirements for the game prototype:
  • The game should show a starting screen with a CTA.

There is a starting screen. There is a CTA, but it works on Click/tap. So, my device does not have buttons exept for an on/off switch. I wanted the game to start when jumping once, but I didn’t have time to figure out how to do this.

  • The game should give feedback to the user when charging the steps. When the steps are charged the game shows a progress bar. That’s the feedback and it works. However, I created and additional screen before the game started. This screen shows the how the steps become the character’s energy. Now this is harcoded. The speed at which the steps are loaded is really fast. So,to have an inbetween screen it would have to show that in slow motion almost. The easiest way to show this was to simulate it.

  • The game should explain the users how to play. There is no explanation on how to play. I decided to cut this out for now until I figure out a better way to play. Using the foot is really difficult, so probably for a kid is even more complex. I need to try the device with a kid.

  • The player must lose energy when an enemy hits it. This is working. The only issue is what I mention before; you can get recharged while you play.

  • The game should show the player’s energy. This is working.

  • The game should give feedback when the player has no energy left. The character explodes when there is no more enery and it takes you to the final screen with a bat-donnut (the enemy).

What questions need to be resolved?

  • Good mainly if a boy between 5 and 7 years old plays or not.
  • Validate if it is a way that can really encourage children to exercise.
  • Then the level of complexity that a kid can handle.
  • How which should be the size, how much smaller? What are the requirements for an interactive children’s toy.
  • Validate if the game should work on sync with an external digital interface or some sort of game should happen when you find another device?
  • If it would make sense to make different characters that can be added to the game when acquiring the device.

What will happen when?

This is a tricky question, I would like to iterate the prototype but I’m not sure when this will happen. Probably, I’ll start with the validations and testing it with kids. I’ll be able to plan this better after understanding what things are working or not for the user. Right now, my goal is to experiment with the behavior of the device. I would like to:

  • Add sound to the device.
  • Try new ways of playing.
  • Improve callibration.
  • Test the possibilities of interaction between two of these devices.
  • Test how a multiplayer game would work.

What have you learned?

Well, I mainly learned that hardware programming is vastly more frustrating than software programming. I think the main problem is that the feedback is more ambiguous.

During the fabacademy I learned a lot, from technical digital manufacturing skills to understanding code. It’s a fast peace program, and I had to trade-offs to keep things relatively up to date. Likewise, the amount of things I have learned in recent months is incredible. One of the reasons was thanks to the Fab Lab BSN instructors who were always available to help, explain or re-explain.

One of the things I’ve learned is to realize how long each thing could take. To understand the machines and their possible failures. I think that in some way this helped me a lot in finishing the final project on time.

Last update: June 18, 2021