Project Name:
Simon Says Die (aka F-Simon)

Audience:
Toddlers with poor short term memory and/or an inability to work in small teams.

User Experience:
Toddlers are fitted into head harnesses, and given one button controller each. The toddlers then must watch a simple light sequence (two lights blinking a total of 4 to 16 times). The toddlers then must cooperate, only being able to control one light each, and replicate the pattern. If correct, the pattern increases in length. If incorrect, the toddlers are punished with a shock sent to their head harnesses. Regardless of which toddler presses the button incorrectly, both are punished. This is intended to promote cooperation, and short-term memory.

Tech specs:
The physical interface is a modified TV Fun game system, fitted with led lights and simple buzzers. The controllers are Sharpie Pens, custom fitted with specialty buttons. The punishment headsets are modified from an Electronic Survivor Shot game. The monitor is an LCD screen. All of these components are connected all via Telios to a PowerBook and programed with Max/MSP. The Max patch generates a sequence, interpets it to the light pattern, retreaves user inputs, and compares the sequences. As soon as an error is made, the patch sends a signal to the punishment harness. The patch also controls the LCD display and sounds.

Tech Challenge:
The physical challenges were in wiring the leds to the buzzers, modifying the punishment harnesses so that they no longer relied on an infared beam, modifying the TV Fun interface to suit our needs, and finally connecting all of the components to the telos system. Beyond the physical challenges, the rest of the project was done in max/msp. what was required was that max needed to randomize a series of binary codes. 0 and 1 representing the two leds. next these patterns needed to be sent to the leds to inform the player of the pattern. max then needed the user to input the same code correctly inorder to move on to a more complex pattern (the next level). or, if inputed incorrectly, trigger the headsets. through this project we developed skills in basic electronics. Wiring electrical components together and triggering effects. Within max, we were able to further grasp the concepts of, more or less, the philosophy of cause and effect on a visual level.