My Final Project

Puppet show

Concept idea:

The project focuses on bringing back the essence of storytelling through a puppet show experience. The device comes with ready-made stories that can be played using story cards. At the same time, it allows users to create their own stories using the provided characters and elements.

The stage is built in layers, with the background arranged in multiple levels to create depth. This layered setup makes the storytelling experience more immersive and lively.

Users can also record their own voice and save their stories, making the experience personal and creative. The idea is not just to give people something to watch, but to provide a platform to become storytellers — encouraging imagination, creativity, and bonding across generations.

Week 1 - Arriving at My Final Project

In the first week, I explored multiple ideas and honestly, all of them felt challenging. Out of these, I decided to go ahead with a puppet-based storytelling device as it felt more interesting to me.

What

It is a physical storytelling system that allows users to become storytellers through puppets, story cards, and layered scenes. It focuses on creating a storytelling experience rather than just a device.

Why

I was interested in storytelling and exploring different mediums to deliver it. I was drawn towards traditional forms like puppetry, which are slowly fading.

Traditionally, puppet shows have been used to perform mythological stories, bringing cultural narratives to life through visual storytelling. In Kerala, we have forms like Tholpavakoothu and Noolpava, and in other parts of India and around the world, puppetry exists in different styles and names.

Even though I haven't seen a puppet show in real life, I have always been fascinated by how stories are performed through narration and movement. In places like Rajasthan, puppetry has even been used to communicate government messages and social awareness.

For many people, the first experience of storytelling comes from parents or grandparents. I wanted to bring back that feeling and make it more special, visual, and interactive without using screens.

This project is not about solving a problem, but about creating an experience that encourages imagination, creativity, and personal connection. It aims to reduce passive screen-based consumption and create a space where users can actively engage in imagination and creativity.

How

The system uses a puppet-based setup where a character performs and narrates the story. The stage is built with layered backgrounds and a rolling sheet to create depth and change scenes.

Story cards can be inserted to play specific stories, while also allowing users to create their own stories using characters and elements. Users can record their own voice, making the experience more personal.

At its core, this is about storytelling. I was curious to see how this traditional form could be brought into an electronic setup, and whether I could recreate a similar experience while still keeping the essence of puppetry-human creativity.

Types of Puppetry

Indian puppetry has different types such as string, rod, glove, and shadow puppets. I referred to Sahapedia to understand these forms better.

String Puppets (Marionettes):

These puppets are controlled using strings attached to different parts of the body, allowing flexible movement.

Rod Puppets:

These are operated using rods or sticks, usually from below, to control the puppet’s movement.

Glove Puppets:

These puppets are worn like a glove and controlled directly by hand movements.

Shadow Puppets:

These are flat figures placed behind a screen, where their shadows are used to tell the story.

Each type is practiced in different regions of India, but all are used as a medium for storytelling.

3d Modeling in Week 2

In Week 2, I made a 3D model to visualize the idea. It is not the final design, but just to bring the idea into a form and explore how it could look. This will be helpful me in thinking and developing the concept further. Software used: Fusion 360, Inkscape, Blender.

Ideation

The idea is to have one character that performs and narrates the story. The target audience is children between 7-12 years, so the system is designed to encourage creativity, exploration, and easy interaction.

In the background, a rolling sheet will be used to change scenes, and layered sheets will create depth and set the environment for the story.

Since the background uses a layered rolling sheet, I thought of integrating something similar to a vinyl cutter. As we used a vinyl cutter in the lab, I explored the idea of making a small version or adding it as an additional accessory.

This would allow users to create their own background elements and characters, enabling more creativity and flexibility in storytelling. It also gives more options to make new stories over time.

Integrating story cards. By inserting a story card, a particular story can be played, allowing users to easily switch between different stories.

Input device week

For my final project, I worked on the story card system during the Input Devices week. The idea is to detect different story cards and play a specific story based on the card inserted.

I designed a small PCB with an IR sensor, inspired by a learning device that reads black and white patterns on cards. My circuit was able to detect black, white, and no card.

However, I was not able to fully read the patterns and identify different cards correctly. Still, this helped me understand how the sensor works and what needs to be improved.