The small control box has a light sensor in it to sense when the bat is swung above it. There needs to be a light shining down that is strong and direct enough so that the bat casts a shadow as it goes by. I’ve been using a mic stand with a small Maglight flashlight […]
physical elements
To Do List for Next Event
The next time I set up the game for other players will be at a party in mid-May, less than three weeks from now. My wish list for that event includes: Must Haves Software Rework the ball algorithm. Bunts and slow swings absorb energy Slower ramping up to high speeds Cure false serves Finish adding […]
New Main System Box
Time to upgrade the control box before Playtest #3. The current box is just a floor and face for the controls. The guts hang out – it’s ugly and probably dangerous. I designed a new box to hold the Arduino Mega, it’s power supply, the control knobs and displays, and jacks for everything external to […]
Playtest #2
Time to test the changes from last time. Playtest on Friday 4/14 during the afternoon in a hallway at work. My Goals Try out next rev on setting up and breaking down the system. Compare bat vs. tennis racket. Does one feel better than the other? Does the racket change the way people play? Test […]
Changes for Next Playtest
I’ve been fixing problems, tuning software, and laser cutting as I prep for my next playtest. Software Changes Fixed swing timing. The biggest issue from Playtest #1 was with players swinging late. The game allowed you to swing a bit early, but never late. Fixing a couple lines of code was all it took to […]
First Working Demos
After a long weekend of debugging I got the whole system to work reliably with one controller. To commemorate that I shot a couple of demo videos. First Game Demo Showing a simple single-player rally game on 30 meters of LED strips (900 LEDs). Hardware Tour Quick overview of all the individual elements involved.
Cable management – Check.
The modular LED strip holders and a box for them were the results of a couple hours at Techshop this evening. Modular Cable Management Laser cutting the holders took about 27 minutes for the 88+ pieces. Then it took another 8 minutes because my wood was 24″ wide rather than the 26″ that I designed […]
PCB!
My first PCB run was ready this morning from Bay Area Circuits. What a great company – they made two of them in their run and gave me both boards, even though I only ordered one. I’ll be using my Dremel tool with a router attachment to cut out the individual boards. I’m aware of […]
LED strip holders
100 feet of LEDs in a flexible poly casing is not very manageable. The LEDs need to point up (or down if hung from a ceiling) and not get twisted about. They also need a power line running along side them for power boosts every 15 feet or so. And finally, the Ethernet cable that carries the […]
Display Panel Working Prototype
Tonight I cut the display from 1/4″ poplar on a laser cutter and installed the switches, pots and displays. (The single 7 segment display on the left still needs to be mounted.) I struggled with how to easily mount the other two displays – a short (<1/4″) very thin wood screw was needed… then hot glue […]