My Final Project
To start my Fab Academy journey, I chose to adapt a project idea I was developing for a Spring Camp Program I’m developing for Moonlighter FabLab. The theme is Build-A-Board and is all about teaching campers to come up with their own board game ideas, layouts, game pieces and rules.
Project Design Intent
To design a game board that can adapt to various board game formats. This device connects to an app that controls the light display, tile layout, movement sequences and player tracking.
Design
Using a PCB layout similar to a keyboard, each tile will act as a key clicked with each player move. The cells will be numbered to follow a typical chess board I will need to study keyboard and key assemblies. The general idea is that the key assembly would allow the tile to click smoothly while the RGB LED shines through uninterrupted.
Components of the Project
User Interface - A program to track moves, control LED patterns, track players, track time, and randomize outcomes.
Output - LED lights in tiles for game layout and response to player moves.
Input - Key strokes from players moving on board.
Weighted Game Pieces - Make a full set of chess pieces to match the board.
While working on the concept I saw so many possibilities for integrating software and hardware. I am still at basic level when it comes to most electronics and programing so my first thought was to make the prototype using the Makey Makey interface. I was soon advised by my instructors that I would need to advance my thinking as soon as possible. I had a very enlightening conversation with my friend Alie who is a genius when it comes to electronics and LEDs. We walked through the options for sensors, types of boards, how i should breakdown the variations of the projects to save time while maximizing progress. It was this conversation that got me thinking about a keyboard functionality with integrated LEDs. This is my goal however we also discussed incorporating NFC readers to better track specific game pieces.
3D Model in Rhino 8
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Logo Design in Adobe Illustrator
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Vinyl Cutter
Materials
| Qty | Description | Price | Link |
|---|---|---|---|
| Material one | 22.00 $ | https://amazon.com/testoe | Order many |
| Material two | 22.00 $ | https://amazon.com/testoe | |
| Material three | 22.00 $ | https://amazon.com/testoe | |
| Material four | 22.00 $ | https://amazon.com/testoe |