laser game prototype

Laser Game Prototype #1 from Thomas Kearns on Vimeo.

Here is the first working prototype of the electronics of one module for the physical game in my trans-reality game for my thesis at DePaul. Shown is the photo-transistor based sensing of a standard laser pointer. Sensitivity is controlled by a potentiometer. Visual feedback is by way of a tri-color LED variably throbbed by 555 based timer circuits, modulated by digital potentiometers, green when laser is aligned, red when not. An IR detector is used for monitoring the "cranking" up of power, and controlling the rotation of a motor that will be used for alignment. As power is added, the throbbing slows down once the player stops cranking (to run off to the next laser station).  The “drip” of power is sped up when not succesfully aligned.  This project is running on an Arduino microcontroller utilizing Zigbee based wireless communication which allows ad-hoc mesh networks of these stations to form scalable site specific instances of the games. 

The next step will be to build a second one of these and to put them both in mockup housing/mechanical assemblies so that game play can be tested.  Hopefully in a week or so we will be able to give it a go and then I can move on to the digital game.