Critical Analysis

How does it connect to ideas you have learned? (Cite topics and readings from class)

Week 1 Lecture: Introduction to the Digital Medium

During the first lecture of module GET1033, we learned that the definition of medium is defined as any combination of materials and cultural practices that are used to support intentional, meaningful communication by affording inscription, transmission, and representation.” This is a quote from Janet Murray (Inventing the medium).

This is an illustration showing the flow of communication of signals and system:

A communication path is created between the laptop and Arduino UNO board when data is transmitted between the two systems. For example, when we are uploading the codes into the Arduino board, the laptop will act as the information source and the code written on the laptop is the message that will be transmitted through USB cable in a form of signals. The signals are then received by the Arduino board and computed by the processor on the board. The chipset that is responsible for all the computing is ATMEGA328P.

Week 2 Lecture: Computer

A computer is an object that takes a stimulus and changes itself according to specific rules. From the lecture, we learned about the transformation of computers. I am fascinated by how computers are evolving from single-purpose calculating devices, which is Pascal's calculator since 1642, Babbage's Difference engine and Analytical engine to a universal computer nowadays.

Arduino board is making its way towards a universal computer as more and more versions of Arduino boards and modules that are compatible with Arduino boards are developed to suit the publics' needs. The basic design could stimulate any other computer if given infinite memory for a more advanced version. Some Arduino boards could even run on Linux Operating System and built-in with Wi-Fi or Bluetooth connection. It could re-write itself as it has built-in components that refresh the memory and store new things in the unit of microseconds. The invention of Arduino is one big step of humanity, especially in the field of robotics as many individuals, ranging from hobbyists to professionals are using Arduino in their prototypes.

Week 4 Lecture: Video Game

We are inspired by retro arcade machine which is very popular decades ago. We feel that it will be very interesting if we built something that is electro-mechanical and classic. We wanted to build an arcade that has a real-time controller (car steering) and real-time graphical display in the physical world (the platform and the motion of the magnet).
For the interface of the arcade, we build a car steering, 7 segments, toggle switch and the display (platform).
The function of a game: The game is set at the time where a driver is driving in a maze full of obstacles and he is trying to escape. The maze gets harder and harder to escape as the driver is driving faster and faster. The driver finally escapes when the difficulty level 5.

Week 4 Lecture + Week 5 Lecture: Procedural Rhetoric

Procedural rhetoric is the process of learning through rules and processes. We wanted the players to understand that driving is not an easy task. We wanted people to know that driving recklessly on the road will cause irreversible and destructive consequences. Through the game, we want the audience to understand that we must be patience and calm when playing the game and they can reflect that driving on road in real life is dangerous and requires full attention.

Week 7 Lecture: Physical Computing

Physical computing is to build interactive physical system by using software and hardware that can sense and respond to the real analog world. This inspired us to make something that is able to captivate the players by letting them interact with the prototype.

Analyse the affordances of digital media it uses.

The arcade toy is not meant to be a device that is able to navigate as an information repository or virtual space with information. Therefore, the spatial level is relatively low. The only navigation that users are able to operate with is the steering wheel, the ‘on’ and ‘off’ switch and the insertion of a coin in the arcade.

Spatial [Low]

(navigable as an information repository and/or a virtual place)

In order to play the game, the user has to insert a coin to activate the machine. After the coin is detected, a countdown mechanism is executed. After 5 seconds, the platform will rotate along with songs and flashing of LED strip. As time progresses, the difficulty of the game will increase. The procedural level is moderate as it has a series of sequential actions occurring.

Procedural [Medium]

(composed of executable rules)

Code is embedded in the Arduino UNO that is built in the arcade. By default, the Arduino UNO is programmed with dummy programme that is doing nothing. We need to implement a programme that fits our need and integrate with the components that we have installed into the arcade. The Arduino is equipped with capacitive components that are able to store memory for the codes and information.

Encyclopedic [Medium]

(containing very high capacity of information in multiple media formats)

The user has to maneuver the ‘magnet’ to avoid the obstacles on the platform. To do so, the user has to move their muscles to rotate the car steering accordingly. Therefore, the participatory level is relatively high as it requires human action in the real world.

Participatory [High]

(inviting human action and manipulation of the represented world)

How does it make use of new abilities of computers?

Computers are getting more and more advanced and user-friendly in terms of the control and programmability. Besides that, microprocessors such as Arduino is also easily available everywhere around the world. This is why we choose Arduino as the core of our toy to make our toy feasible and operate as we wanted. Arduino is meant for hobbyists and individuals who wanted to kick start and learn simple programming. Therefore, it is very ideal for us novices of programming to build and tinker using this microprocessor. Arduino is relatively easy to use because we can directly use different sensors and actuators in the form of modules that are available in the market. And surprisingly, the components match our needs and they are very easy to pick up and use.

By using the (Integrated Development Environment) IDE provided by Arduino, we can easily play with the values of different variables according to the changes in the environment. To use the software, the Arduino must first be connected to a computer, either a Windows PC, Mac or even Linux. It is very similar to the Turing Machine. The process of computing are just combinations of these steps:

- Naming variables, change their values.

- Repeating the instructions (loops).

- Using conditionals to do something because of the result.

- Read values acquired by different parts.

For example, an insertion of a coin can be easily detected using a microswitch. When a coin is inserted into the coin slot, the circuit is closed and the internal value of the variable is changed as an indication. This can be easily achieved using a computer as a medium to compile and build the programme.

How does it build off other projects you have seen?

Before we started building our prototype, we did researches by surfing on different websites and videos to gain ideas. At first, we are inspired by Project Labo for Nintendo Switch, which is to build cardboard project that is able to integrate with the computer. We found out that most cardboard toys created are not computerized (i.e. solely equipped with simple circuits like motor or none at all), which makes the toy very dull. We came out with the idea to make a prototype arcade which is programmable according to what the player desired. This is to increase the replayability and value of the toy.

These are the features that we had improved on the original idea of the arcade toy:

- Added a microprocessor to make the toy programmable

We have added Arduino as the processor because it is small in size and suitable for different modules and components. This improvement also makes possible for the game to have different levels of difficulty which represents by the speed of the platform and the rotating direction of the platform.

- Added extra elements to make the toy much more attractive

We 'remixed' the original idea of the arcade by making changes that we think are necessary to increase the value. For example, we changed the interface of the toy where users will be facing. We have added a 7 segment, a buzzer, and a switch to imitate the real structure of a car. We also added LED strip so that it can also be used as a decorative item besides entertaining other.

- Recompile the code such that it is easy to understand

The reason why we do so is that we wanted people who are also as enthusiastic as us to be able to further remix it. We wanted to so how far it could go. We hope that people can understand the making process and are able to make changes to the current version and we foresee that the final version of the arcade car will be much more sophisticated and complex.