December 13, 2011

Start/Stop How can the cube be started and how to shut it off? Until now the game starts as soon as the DAKA sensor is turned on and the processing sketch gets loaded. The game ends if the sensor is shut off or the sketch closed. We could implement some sort of start/stop gestures, so the user has an easy possibility to start/end the game. Edit 1: As a starting/ending gesture we could use the "crashing" of the cube on a table. Feedback The use of different feedback must be clarified. Vibration: Until now vibration signalizes "wrong". So, if the cube gets tilted in a wrong direction, it vibrates. Can vibration be mapped to other information? Should vibration be left only for signalizing wrong movement/alerting or could it be used for more, other kind of signals? Light: Until now the light feedback is used for user guidance - to tell in which direction to tilt, how to turn or to shake the cube. Light feedback consists of single lights (on the sides of the cube) but can be used also differently, using all lights at the same time or specific light together. Also, the light intensity can be altered, so for example pulsating can be mapped to something. Edit 1: We chose to not lighten up all the cube sides but rather let the whole cube glow but with RGB leds. So the cube can talk to the user by changing its light intensity and color, also, it can pulsate, etc. Errors What to do on user generated errors e.g. if the user moves the cube wrongly? Until now no kind of error recognition is implemented. We could let the cube just vibrate 100% if an error has been made and dim vibration back as soon as the error gets sorted out? Moving the cube (lying on a wrong side, vibrating) to the right side could fade out the error vibration, signalizing "you're moving in the right direction". As soon as the cube lies on the right side there should be some feedback for signalizing "ok, no more error". Edit 1: When user made errors happen, the cube should start to vibrate and not stop until the error gets corrected. Tilting the cube onto the right side could let the cube's vibration go off slowly, signalizing that the chosen direction will move the cube into the right position. Motivation How can we make CUBE more attractive/more fun? Until now CUBE appeals through its aesthetics and interaction methods. Also, CUBE is intended as a rehabilitation "tool" rather than an everyday companion, game or toy. But how can we offer a long-time motivation to the user? Maybe through a score system? Multiplayer? Gameification? Edit 1: We settled with the limitations and features we have right now and decided to go on from here, developing the definitive concept around the constraints that we have at this moment. CUBE could be seen as new kind of artificial lifeform, which has to be interacted with to keep it alive. CUBE could express its emotions by its light feedback and so tell the user "how it feels" and if it needs to be interacted with. The idea of a labyrinth is still interesting too, as it would combine brain-skillz with the cube's haptic interaction. Code Todo What must be done in code - User error recognition and handling - Light feedback - Start/Stop functionality - Some sort of monitor interface