This past week, our team focused on preparing for and presenting at the interim demo, where we showcased a functional early version of our interactive Sudoku system. Although the design remains in a preliminary state, all major components – including the capacitive touch sensor, numpad, and projector – are working and successfully interfacing with our software. Moises ensured that the capacitive grids were responsive in time for the demo, and began planning the next iteration of the 9×9 touch grid, including material research and initial enclosure designs. Acrylic sheets were ordered for laser cutting, and early sketches for a housing prototype are in progress. Meanwhile, both Michael and Winstone focused on software features and integration. Winstone completed the connection between the capacitive touch grid and the Raspberry Pi using Pygame, eliminating the need for traditional input devices and allowing interaction through touch and the numpad.
On the software side, we implemented a rudimentary version of the hint system, which currently reveals the correct answer for a selected cell. While functional, we recognize that this approach is too revealing for a learning-focused application, and both Michael and Winstone are exploring more educational alternatives. Ideas include displaying candidate numbers based on Sudoku constraints or highlighting rows and cells to guide problem-solving without directly providing answers. Additionally, work has begun on a multi-functional side screen to display a home menu and options, and early discussions have started around implementing an undo feature via a stack-based approach. Our next goals are to finalize a consistent and accurate 9×9 touch grid, iterate on the enclosure design, and refine our software to enhance both interactivity and educational value.