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Weekly Progress

This is the weekly progress of my final project.

Week 01

Idea Brainstorming:

  1. Idea 01: Calories Intake Calculator

    Idea 01: Calories Intake Calculator

    Inspired by my friend who always brings her weight to calculate food calories, I would like to create an automatic calories intake calculator. I have 3 different kinds in mind:

    A. Camera + Food Cover Lid + Weight + Ai -> not portable, but multifunctional, and maybe the most accurate? B. Camera + Food Cover Lid + Ai -> less portable and multifunctional C. Camera only (steam bun shaped) + Ai -> portable

  2. Idea 02: Game Console for Communal Play (Quiz Style)

    Idea 02: Game Console for Communal Play (Quiz Style)

    I’ve always loved creating or hosting games for my friends. Last time, I hosted a game underground, but there was no internet access, so we couldn’t play games like Kahoot. Moreover, I always had a hard time to figure out who’s the first to raise their hands or the quickest one to answer. Because of that, I came up with the idea of creating a quiz-style game using a game console connected via Bluetooth. Each group would have its own console connected to a big screen. The big screen would display the questions. If a group wants to answer a question, they can press a “raise hand” button. For multiple-choice questions, they can select the A, B, C, or D button. There is also a small screen on the console to show if their answer is correct or wrong.

Week 02

After talking with my instructor, Matthew, we decided to go with the second idea: a game console for communal play (quiz style). We felt this option would allow me to explore more and be more creative, as it involves more components.

Matthew helped me visualize the idea and identify the components I will need to build the game console:

In this week, I created the 2D design for three different game consoles and the logo using Adobe Illustrator and the 3D design in OnShape and Blender.

I incorporated vibrant colors (red-orange #fe564b, yellow #fdd400, blue #1a5edb) and many rounded shapes to make the design look fun and friendly, including rounded corners on the body and screen, as well as cylindrical buttons.

For the product name, I wanted to include the word “all” - since the goal is for everyone (all) to play and have fun together. I researched several name ideas, and I found that on Thesaurus.com, the word “all” is pronounced as “awl”. I loved the name so much, I went ahead and made the simple logo “awl.” and the tagline “play with you awl.”

Mistake

I didn’t set up parametric design at the beginning. It would have been better if I had created the model with parametric design from the start.

Week 03

I cut my 2D design for my final project using Cricut Explorer.

I tried to print the game console on paper before, but it failed. I think it was because the design was too small and complex. Or maybe the paper is too thin?

Week 04

This week, I learned how to use the XIAO ESP32-C3, an MCU that I will use later for building game consoles. I also learned about different programming languages, including CircuitPython, MicroPython, and Arduino.

Week 05

This week, I learned how to use the 3D printer, the Bambu Lab A1 Mini. I tested several design rules, including angle, bridging, clearance, wall thickness, and overhang tests. I also learned about hinge mechanisms. Since I will use the 3D printer extensively for my final project to build game consoles, this experience was very insightful.

Week 06

2D Design Since my final project will involve using buttons, I chose to incorporate them into this week’s assignment in order to practice and better understand how they work.

I learned how to simulate circuit on Wokwi:

Then I used KiCad to create the PCB design :

Week 07

This week, I created a 3D prototype of the game console to evaluate its physical size and layout. During this process, I realized that the LED screen used in the first design was too large, so I redesigned the console. The console will use a 2.23-inch 7-pin OLED screen adapter board.

I redesigned the model in Onshape and implemented parametric design, which I had not set up in Week 2.

OnShape File - Game Console_V2

Then I printed the model using the Bambu Lab A1 Mini 3D printer.

First, I sent the file to the Bambu Studio app.

These are the print settings in Bambu Studio:

The printing process:

Here is the final result:

Mistake

  • The OLED screen did not fit into the design I made. The space was too small. I should have taken the design rules into account more carefully.
  • I used the printer’s default settings. In the future, I should experiment more with the print settings.

Note

I will redesign the game console again:

  • Make the OLED section larger so the screen will fit properly
  • Design a joint for the top and bottom parts
  • Label the buttons
  • Print the buttons separately from the game console body
  • Experiment more with the print settings

I found this game console at ChaiHuo and opened it to examine its components and assembly process:

Week 08