So now we have a disc with programmable LEDs which responds, at least in a rudimentary fashion, to its environment.
This is all well and good, but as anyone with much experience throwing a disc can probably attest, the physical end result leaves something to be desired. The electronics will likely survive a casual game of catch, as long as the participants have a light touch and don't pancake the disc too hard, and it looks good in the dark, but we're a long ways from a finished piece of serious athletic gear. The rigors of a real Ultimate game would probably destroy the blinkendisc in a couple of plays.
So where to from here? Well, I have an entire research agenda:
- Design and 3D print an enclosure for the electronics that will stand up to mud puddles, random concrete obstacles, actual Ultimate games, and the typical antics of Ultimate players.
- Incorporate additional sensor input and some form of wireless communication.
- Add more blinkenlights, because life is too short to blink in moderation.
- Design an interesting game mechanic that relies on accumulating state on the disc itself.
Stay tuned!
Page last edited May 22, 2015
Text editor powered by tinymce.