Week 7:

This week, the group worked on much of the physical board. The gluing of the board was done, which created a solid and sturdy game board with the use of biscuits. Once glued, a reset was discussed. Something simple and out of the way was needed, which wouldn't prohibit movement and would allow for the installation of a motion detector at an exit hole. The idea devised was multiple hole drilled into the support beams of the undercarriage of the board with a plywood bottom. This way, when a ball is to fall through a hole, a catcher beneath is utilized to bring the ball back onto the first level beneath the first ramp. The detector will be placed within the final hole in order to take life away from the ball if it happens tho have to go through the reset.

The next aspect to the game that was created was the pivot point. Utilizing half a plastic ball from a group in the juggling engineering lab, a round pivot cup was created. The idea devised was to gather a good bit of sand and put it within the plastic ball and create a cover to trap the sand within. This is because the ball is rather fragile, as it tends to crack easily. By filling the ball to the brim with sand, it helps counteract the constant inward pressure due to the weight of the board. Next, the actual pivot point was created. A simple wooden box was created and lined with packaging tape and then filled with sand. The reason for this is simple: the plastic ball rotates very easily with the soft mound of sand around it, and once within the box, the box becomes very heavy. The weight is needed to keep the servo motors in place while controlling the movement of the board. Though the servos have yet to be attached, ideas have been devised, and they soon will be put through trial and error to see which will work the best, as the motion control has finally come into fruition with a working code for the Wii Nunchuck to be utilized.

The Ball used to pivot the board.

 The Box and the Ball in action.

The Nunchuck-servo code in action.