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Team Status Report 02/22

This week was mainly dedicated to the team’s design presentation, which allowed for review and refinement of the project’s design. Michael took the lead in presenting, ensuring the slides conveyed the team’s progress while preparing for potential questions from faculty. Several design updates have been implemented to improve functionality. System diagrams have been updated for better clarity on which components are being used and how they are connected. The team has also streamlined the design by replacing certain components, including no longer using an FPGA, utilizing capacitive touch sensing instead of a keypad for movement, and removing computer vision since it no longer really fit our goals with the project. While these changes do not significantly increase costs, they require additional testing and validation to make sure everything is functional and integration goes smoothly.

The project has encountered some hardware setbacks, (MPR121 sensors and projector) affecting our ability to test the capacitive touch grid and projection. To address these challenges, the team is conducting some preliminary testing, refining the touch grid design, and developing software ahead of hardware arrival to allows us to integrate quickly and begin validation and testing as soon as possible. Given the delay with the projector, simulations using Pygame have been implemented to continued some development.

In addition to the software development and testing, research was made on feeding continuous real-time data into the Vankyo Burger 101 projector. While direct coding progress was limited due to competing obligations, a bit of research was conducted on communication protocols and data interfaces that could be used for this task. The team took into consideration both wired and wireless methods to ensure a steady stream of high-frequency data, while simulations of different data flow scenarios highlighted potential issues such as latency and data integrity. Although all this does is give us some idea but the hardware may function different. A draft technical document was created to outline possible architecture and API requirements, in order to continue improving projector usage.

The project schedule has been adjusted taking into considerations certain issues, with key milestones such as sensor testing, capacitive grid construction, and system integration experiencing slight delays. The team remains proactive in working around different challenges and is prepared to adapt as required. Recent achievements include a design presentation that refined the project’s approach, an improved touch grid layout, and preliminary projection software development. Moving forward, the team will continue testing and optimizing components as hardware becomes available. If delays continue, work will be focused on software elements such as the Sudoku solver and hint generation that don’t require the missing hardware.

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Moises Status Report 02/22

This week, I focused on determining the appropriate sizing for the capacitive touch grid, including the spacing required for a 9 x 9 grid system. Since our system only needs to detect one input at a time, rather than handling multiple simultaneous touches, I realized we could allow for slightly more spacing between the capacitors without sacrificing functionality.

Based on this, I designed a 12in x 12in grid using 1-inch-wide copper foil strips, with 0.375-inch (3/8-inch) gaps between each strip. This layout results in 1-inch by 1-inch capacitor squares, separated by 0.375-inch gaps.

Additionally, I plan to test different dielectric materials to determine which works best, including parchment paper and packing tape.

I do feel slightly behind schedule, as I had hoped to have the board built and begin testing with the MPR121 sensors by now. However, since the sensors have not yet arrived,  and I had a fairly busy week with multiple projects, exams and assignments I fell behind.

Therefore my next steps will be to:

  • Start writing pseudocode for the Raspberry Pi to prepare for debugging.
  • Build a test grid to begin preliminary experiments as soon as the sensors arrive.
  • If the MPR121 arrive, do testing as soon as possible and possibly begin working on implementing the full 9×9 grid.
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Moises Status Report 02/15

We identified a few components in our project that were difficult to justify and found better alternatives. One of these was the navigation method for Sudoku board selection. Instead of using four directional buttons (up, down, left, right), I explored different ways to implement a touch-based selection system.

The most promising approach is capacitive touch sensing. This would involve creating a 9×9 grid using a conductive material, such as copper foil tape, with rows and columns separated by a dielectric material. This setup effectively forms 81 capacitors. Each row and column would be connected to an MPR121, an IC capable of detecting changes in capacitance. When a user touches the overlapping region of a row and column (a makeshift capacitor), the capacitance increases, which the MPR121 can detect and process.

This solution is cost-effective, requiring two MPR121 ICs ($8 each) and copper foil tape which is approximately ($8).

Overall, I believe this approach will improve the project by making user interaction more intuitive. However, it also introduces new challenges in setup and integration. My next steps include gaining a deeper understanding of the implementation process and beginning assembly once the necessary components arrive.

Our interactive Sudoku system is designed with economic efficiency in mind, utilizing low-cost materials like MPR121 ICs and copper foil tape to reduce production costs compared to expensive touchscreen alternatives. By leveraging Raspberry Pi and open-source software like Pygame, the system remains affordable, scalable, and easy to distribute, enabling cost-effective replication for educators, developers, and hobbyists. Its modular design allows for widespread adoption in schools and learning centers, while its open-source framework supports a DIY market, fostering innovation without high development costs. Additionally, the system holds commercial potential in the  sector of education technology, where it could be produced and sold as an interactive learning tool that will make cognitive training more accessible while aligning with sustainable production and distribution models.

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Moises Status Report for 02/08

This past week, I have been exploring various Raspberry Pi models that feature HDMI output capabilities and support multiple input options. I have identified two potential candidates: the Raspberry Pi 5 (4GB/8GB) and the Raspberry Pi 4 Model B. These models stand out due to their dual micro-HDMI output, sufficient processing power for handling multiple inputs, and strong community support, which makes development and troubleshooting easier. Additionally, both support OpenCV and other computer vision libraries, making them ideal for tasks involving image processing and real-time video analysis. I have also been learning how to set up these boards and have written some pseudocode for initializing pins and configuring the HDMI port for output.