This week I was tied up with the design report, but I made progress on our dice-reading algorithm. I re-evaluated the short-range camera setup (focal distance, exposure/gain) and ran end-to-end dice-roll tests. The pipeline worked reliably, with occasional low-confidence reads fixed by an automatic re-capture. I updated our changes to reflect the short-range camera, noting notes lighting/glare mitigation, and documented what we would need for the dice tray and camera enclosure. Next week, I plan to organize test clips and screenshots as well as collect quantitate data on the reading accuracy of 100 dice rolls to demonstrate the results.
Part B: Cultural Factors
Our project recreates the social feel and norms of in-person Catan for players in different locations, so we explicitly design for fairness, privacy, accessibility, and familiar “table rhythm.”
Two mirrored, physical boards sense roads/settlements/cities directly on the board, keeping talk and negotiation natural without new screens. To support shared rules around fair play, dice are read on-device with a short-range camera; if the read is uncertain, the system quietly tries again so no one acts as the referee. Information is language-independent: LEDs and simple icons carry meaning across groups, and we can choose color blind friendly palettes so mixed-ability players participate without being singled out.
We target low latency (≈100 ms local, ≤1 s board-to-board) so pacing and attention match normal tabletop play on typical home Wi-Fi. For privacy expectations in homes, lounges, and community rooms, we transmit only compact game events (no video), and keep inference on the board. A hooded tray and stable exposure reduce glare so the setup works across varied lighting and table sizes.
Taken together, these choices address cultural factors, beliefs about fair competition, norms around shared space and devices, differing languages and abilities, so different communities can keep their usual play style while sharing one consistent, trustworthy game.