FORTUNEC02
[controller design]
This project focused on the design and development of a controller capable of operating a robot that can play Jenga. The controller needed to incorporate all the necessary functions to make playing as smooth and seamless as possible, ensuring that the robot could perform with precision while keeping the controls user-friendly and intuitive.
Team: Lea Dannenhauer, Dimitri Wagner
Duration: 4 months
My role: Research, Concept, Sketches, building the prototype, 3D-modeling, User Testing, Video
[THE ROBOT]
The Jenga robot can move forward, backward, and sideways, and it has the ability to rotate on its own axis. Its arm is attached to a height-adjustable axis, allowing for precise targeting of the stone's position. Inside the arm, a motor controls a tape measure that gently and accurately pushes the stones out.
[OUR GOALS]
Our controller is designed to be extremely simple and intuitive, both in appearance and functionality. To meet the fine motor skill requirements of the Jenga game, we focused on controls that could seamlessly combine both precise and broad movements.
We chose to incorporate a rotary wheel for extending the tape measure, as the action of rolling out the tape aligns well with our intended metaphor, making the interaction feel natural and easy to grasp.
[USER TESTING]
As part of a user testing session, we evaluated the prototype of the controller. For this, we developed test tasks and questions that could assist in the further development and enhancement of the controller. The insights were then gathered and analyzed.
[MOVEMENT]
The ergonomic design allows users to customize the controller to their individual needs. The user can extend or retract it to adjust the distance between their hands and fold it inward from both sides to achieve the desired wrist angle. Additionally these features enable the controller to be completely collapsed, taking up minimal space for easy storage and transport.
