For the Final Project, we changed the initial 6 ideas we had to this final project due to information received from the instructor and classmates. In particular, what influenced us was the suggestion to move away from buttons and sliders where we reviewed all our existing ideas and thought about how this component could be removed. In addition, we also focused on trying to make the works original as there was a comment that the sand table idea didn’t add many original components to it. The final project information will then be provided below.
A. Molecular Soccer
B. I found inspiration from the Gameboy for this project where controls of the console were simple but could alternate the dimensionality of the game. When I was young, I’ve also played soccer on a Gameboy before thus this project also is derived from past experience of playing soccer. Our project focuses on the specific purpose of entertainment for young children as well as ingraining technical scientific principle of expansion and heat upon them. We’d like to address simple education through entertainment to young children to allow them to actually use a product that would help them learn. This is due to children’s interests in leisure rather than learning. We’d also like to include subtle graphics that show scientific models of expansion to children to expose them to knowledge at an early age as a byproduct of playing this game in hopes that they understand such knowledge easily.
C. Our project will be a projection of a game similar to soccer, but simplified to simple circles to represent the players. The circles will expand and compress based on the distance of the hand above or below them which is important to note as the “soccer ball” reflects on the circle based on the angle of impact. In total, there will be 14 circles with 7 circles that are controlled by each user. This project will first have the mechanics of processing work out in which the circular ball reflects when it hits another ball as well as how it will count points when it enters the goal which will be completed by December 1. Afterwards, we will try to implement the ultrasonic sensors to test the serial connection between Arduino and processing on December 2. When both of these steps have been perfectly completed, the design of the game box will be 3D modeled in Rhinoceros before having the pieces laser cut and attached to each other on December 3 and perfected so that it can be user tested on December 4.
Steps that will be taken to empathize with the target audience would be to account for arm span so that they can properly experience the game device without stretching and covering the projection. Moreover, as this device is conceptually targeted to children we would like to make it simpler for them to control where the ultrasonic sensor will have lower distance settings in which the circle will expand. Other than the above, the aesthetics may appear more childish in the sense that there may be engraved drawings.
D. From the preparatory research and readings, I was most impacted by the definition of interaction that was studied between them. In particular, Edmonds’ dynamic-passive interaction and dynamic-interactive interaction stood out to me most which inspires this proposal. It can be seen in my project that it is dynamic-interactive as the movement of the virtual ball changes how the players move within the game. Moreover, this also is inline with my definition of interaction which is that an action leads to a reaction that leads to another action from the source. This should be reciprocal where both sources should contribute in the interactive manner. It can be seen in this idea that the action of a ball moving leads to reactions of the individual which lead to continuous movements of the ball in the direction that’s reflected.
I think that this project is unique in the sense that a lot of the control components are simplified so that only the size of the ball can affect movement, direction, and etc. We then take the existing sport of soccer and implement it to this game to create a new experience of playing soccer which is different from modern day video game consoles. We think that this is significant as it provides opportunities to strengthen the kinetic skills of individuals as an entertaining game to them. It can also provide a basis to them on how cells expand when heating as the circle will turn red. This project could be a non-digital screen based game which is rare in society as everything is technology based, especially gaming consoles. Subsequent projects could build upon this idea of simple controls to address the child audience in a healthy manner that doesn’t include digital gaming on a screen. While the value of this project would not be especially high in terms of educational worth, it can provide joy which can arguably be worth it for many parents in our society as well as entertainment worth.
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