HopsCulator
Device
Studio
is
a
course
of
study
provided
for
student
to
understand
the
concept
behind
an
interactive
device
where
it
could
possibly
bring
the
society
a
more
convenience
in
any
kinds
of
manner.
Students
get
to
study
a
device
they
wanted
to
build,
from
brainstorming
the
idea,
gathering
concepts,
finalizing
idea
and
to
build
up
the
device.
Students
gain
the
fundamental
knowledge
of
how
circuses
work
and
how
different
kinds
of
boards
function,
from
there,
students
are
able
to
come
up
with
their
ideas
and
create
a
unique
device
by
themselves.
I
searched
for
an
idea
that
would
actually
help
children
age
from
6
month
to
6
years
to
learn
the
general
knowledge
in
a
fun
and
entertaining
way,
as
well
to
learn
the
skill
how
to
socialize
with
other
peers.
From
research,
children
from
6
months
to
6
years
learn
most
efficiently.
Their
brain
develops
and
grows
rapidly
during
this
period.
Children
attempt
to
learn
any
kind
of
skills
and
easily
absorb
what
they
experienced,
depending
on
how
the
environment
impacts
them.
However,
parents
attempt
to
teach
their
children
from
home,
due
to
their
children
arent
old
enough
to
go
to
Pre
School
or
primary
school.
Parents
teach
them
the
basic
knowledge
such
as
speaking,
writing,
reading,
counting,
communicating,
and
extras.
But
is
this
really
enough
for
children
to
learn
with
only
two
parents
and
not
with
all
other
same
age
kids?
Technology
these
days
may
offer
us
great
teaching
methods
to
educate
the
next
generation.
There
are
varieties
of
excited
devices
such
as
Television,
eBooks,
Computer,
Internet,
iPad,
or
any
sort
of
device
that
could
help
children
from
6
months
to
6
years
to
learn.
Although
these
technologies
brought
parents
convenient
to
be
able
to
teach
their
children
at
home,
children
learn
skills
in
a
young
age.
However
I
think
theyre
missing
a
very
important
ingredient,
that
is,
socializing
skills.
In
the
latest
Y
and
X
generation,
you
may
find
teens
rely
on
computers,
Internet,
daily
devices
like
iPad,
and
smart
phones.
It
seems
they
only
live
in
the
virtual
world
and
some
teens
dont
even
have
the
skill
or
ability
to
socialize
or
communicate
with
others.
This
may
cause
by
the
technology
boosted
in
the
early
90s,
the
major
invention
was
the
Internet.
Children
were
introduced
to
the
technology
in
the
early
age,
and
now
they
value
the
computers,
television,
or
smart
phone
devices
their
only
way
to
learn.
Therefore,
I
want
to
make
a
device
that
encourages
parents
to
take
their
children
outside
the
house
and
to
learn
with
other
children
as
learning
peers.
This
way
they
get
to
learn
the
skill
as
well
communicating
and
socializing
with
others.
I cam up with an idea creating an electronic hopscotch for children, however it is not only a hopscotch, its a giant calculator. The reason to make it giant is because children are over-active. They love over sized toys. Making them move around the device can be one of the major keys that draw a kids attention. And I named it the Hopsculater.
Thoughtless Act:
Thoughtless act is defined as something we do without thinking or realizing or perhaps insensitive. You may ask me how this device relates to the project them Thoughtless act. Well, lets have a think about it. People these days including us living in a high technology environment. We rely on mobile phones to retrieve information via Internet. We call, we receive calls, we text, we play games, we read, watch news and videos, we check dictionary, weather, emails. We check social webs to get connected 24 hours 7, we google search anything we arent sureall sorts of other things. I mean, once the environment has influenced you, its hard to live without what youre used to. However as were living in the high technology environment, we attempt to stay where we are and not to think further what can be improved. Because we are used to what everyone does and we do it as well without thinking. This is called the thought act action. The project Hopsculater has complete relationship with thoughtless act. People these day they teach their children using high technology, but they not yet realized although these high tech device brings the convenient to our daily life, it also reduce down the chances and possibility to communicate or socialize with a real person. And more importantly, once the children are used to using these high technology devices, they start to refuse to talk to the peers, they dont learn from the peers, because they did not learn the skill of how to communicate and socialize with others! Parents dont realize, because theyre influenced by the environment, and they uses what has been provided to them. This is where HopsCulater comes in, encouraging the parents to take their kids outdoor, to compete with other peers as well learning, communicating and socializing with other same age peers. At first I was going to make a word spelling hopscotch with 26 letters from A-Z. However after I delivered the idea in the presentation, it comes back in result that numbers are easier to make and still achieve my purpose of making this design. Therefore I switched my original idea to numbers from 0-9 and inly with +, -, and =. I also need a Clear button for clearing / reset the formula. The Hopsculator. The Hopsculator works as a calculator, but only with Plus, Minus, and Equals. It may seems way too easy for adults to interactive with the device, however this device is targeting on children from age 6 months to 6 years. (Children who are still learning the basic of mathematics). More over the challenge is, the Hopsculater knows how to read negative and positive numbers. For example: -3 + -3= -12. Once you hop this formula, the device would spilt out Minus, 6.
Or even when you hop on 3 - + 3, the answer that answers you would also be Munus, 6.
Technical aspects:
In the technical aspect, there are some difficulties I encountered which may have failed to be solved and were lead to change my project plan. At first I was going to use the MP3 Player Shield, apply onto Audrino. MP3 PLAYER SHIELD MICRO SD CARD (FOR SHIELD) AUDRINO BOARD - The mp3 player shield is for triggering the track when a specific mat is pressed down. For example, when A mat is pressed down, it would trigger a specific mp3 track on the micro SD card, which would say A while the audience jump on the A mat. - The micro SD card is for storing the track and insert on the mp3 player board, like an external memory. And the tracks in the SD card need to be organized applying with the Arduino code.
- The Arduino board is there to talk to the mp3 player shield and sanding data between the mp3 player shield and the arduino code. I had to solder the mp3 player shield with the female pins, somehow I soldered it on the wrong side of the board, so I hade to unsolder it, which it happened to be burnt the board and cannot to be read through Audrino board. It was a tragedy that there wasnt enough time for me to ship another one from littlebird electronic or spark fun. Therefore I decided not to mark around with the mp3 board. Instead I am going to use processing to trigger the sound (track). Though triggering the sound tracks from processing through computer doesnt make my device an independent device, however it still achieves what I need to achieve and still delivers the idea as a prototype.
Arduino Code:
(Download) This code allows your Arduino board to talk to the Processing and transferring data between them.
Processing code:
(Download) This code will allow you to trigger the sound from 0-9, Plus, Minus, equals and clear once you jump on the mats. # Note: when you jump on a mat each time, you will need to stay off the hopscotch for the mat to release again to trigger the sound. (It is a bit slow due to there is no air going through the mat, it takes a bit of time for the mat to release and so as triggering the track) It doesnt have the function of inserting the answer see if youre correct or not, due to difficulties not knowing how to write an insert code in processing. However the general idea is, when you create a formula, you also input the answer, then the hopsculater will indicate you if youre correct or not. In this one you can only create a formula and the device will spit out the answer for you, just like a calculator, but a giant one.
List:
Item
Mp3
Player
Shield
Sun
shade
Quantity
1
Yellow
x
1
Blue
x
1
Pink
x
1
Green
x
2
1
Sticky
Tape
x
2
Double
sided
tape
x
4
2
1
Price
$
44
AUD
$
40
AUD
Yoga Mat 185 cm x 80 cm Tapes (Clear tape, Double sided tape) Aluminium Foil Inc Arduino Board kit
Pin
Pin
2
Pin
3
Pin
4
Pin
5
Pin
6
Pin
7
Mat
Number
#
2
#
3
#
4
#
5
#
6
#
7
Pictures:
Video: http://vimeo.com/32034190
Schematic:
(Download)