This week was spent working on finalizing the design of the mat and building the prototype for demo week. We tested out using wood as the material for the mat with the design being complete and tested out how durable it was. I wanted to make sure it was easy to work with and also strong enough to experience excessive force when being used. To do this, we printed out mounts for the sensors and laser-cut plywood to act as the board. Attached is a photo of me standing on it. After using as much force on it as possible and jumping on it, I am confident enough to continue with this design and build the final board using similar principles.
Progress is somewhat on track. Now that the design is figured out and tested not to break, building the prototype on time and working out the software issues that will inevitably arise should not be too much of a problem. For the next week, the plan is to build out the design further to somewhat resemble the final dance pad and see if I can actually get the electronics to work properly and remain unharmed by the process.