Team Corgi Lauren Barker, Allison Rugg, Eric Walter-Grant
Our Client • Our Client is Tewksbury Hospital Equestrian (T.H.E.) Farm, which uses horse-back riding as occupational therapy. They seek to make a Sensory Trail which will stimulate the riders’ five senses. • Users of the trail include: the those suffering from visual impairment, autism, learning disabilities, muscular dystrophy, multiple sclerosis, cerebral palsy, etc. • Statement of Need: Our clients need to improve their balance, posture, mobility, coordination, cognitive ability, and strength.
Project Restraints Our project must be: • Safe • Weatherproof • User-friendly • Easily constructed in 1.5 months • Large enough for use while on horseback • Powered outdoors • Cost-effective • Energy-efficient • Durable • Aesthetically pleasing • Natural look • Not too flashy
Musical Pairs • Flashes an LED, corresponding to a musical note. • Rider then presses corresponding note by finding matching colored button • “Reward” (ie. chasing lights or an appealing noise) signifies a right answer • Plays a tune using a few notes played sequentially • Memory game Musical Pairs Musical Pairs Diagram GO Off
Pros of Musical Pairs • People generally like music • Visually and mentally stimulating with colors and different musical notes • Child will enjoy hearing a familiar tune
Cons of Musical Pairs • The game would not work if an LED went out. • Could make the client frustrated because of trouble memorizing • Arguably too complex
Animal Sound Matching • The rider will press a “go” button, and a random animal sound will be played. • The rider will then press the matching animal-shaped button. • A correct choice will be rewarded with flashing lights and sounds. • The animal names will also be written in Braille beneath their respective buttons. • This activity is similar to the popular “See ‘N’ Say” toy.
Pros of Animal Sound Matching • Simple • Compatible for blind and sighted people • Good for young children • Fun and easy to use • Sound is stimulating • Can be educational, teaching Braille/reading for younger children • Relevant to THE Farm; patients probably like animals • Client liked this idea most • Inexpensive • We can use the laser cutter to make animal shapes
Cons of Animal Sound Matching • We need to figure out how to randomize it • Unoriginal • Not very stimulating • Too simple for higher-developed patients
Whack-A-Mole Whack-A-Shape • Use popup critters or shapes • Use moles represented by red, yellow, and green LEDs • Tap the illuminated LED with mallet • Touch sensor on each mole so that it makes a noise when hit
Pros of Whack-A-Mole • Fun • Familiar game • Made of simple materials • Good for all ages • Physically stimulating • Pertinent to a farm because moles are animals
Cons of Whack-A-Mole • If an LED went out, the game would not work so well. • Leaves/pine needles could build up in the holes • Would entail more power • Much more complicated to construct (more mechanics)
Musical Pairs Function Multiple times to play tune? LED that matches with note lights up Randomized outputs 1 of 6 Musical Notes plays Press GO Patient presses colored button that matches corresponding LED color Game shuts off automatically after 1 min of no use The note that matches with the colored button pressed plays New musical sequence will play Client presses GO after sequence guess
Animal Sound Matching Function Animal sound plays Client presses the animal button that matches If wrong animal pressed, cute voice says “try again” Press GO until If correct, animal sound plays again Power off Correct animal sound is pressed Yes Has it been inactive 1 min? No Is the game in use? Yes No
Whack-A-Mole Function Mole pops out No Has it been 3 seconds? Has mole been hit? Press GO No Yes Yes Mole says “ouch” and goes back in hole Another mole pops out while the first ones goes back in Has game been inactive 1 min? Power off Yes No
Final Decision • Revised Animal Sound Matching • Looks like Whack-A-Mole diagram but has 5 different stationary (farm) animals • Random animal noise plays • Patient responds by hitting the corresponding animal (button)
Final Decision • If patient hits wrong animal, “try again” voice • New animal sound every couple seconds unless animal is pressed • If correct animal is pressed, new sound immediately • If inactive for 12 seconds, game shuts off
Parts List • Plastic panel - $0-55 • 2 Panel legs - $18 • Randomizing chip • Components - $30 • Voice recordings • Plastic animal shapes from laser cutter - $0 • Mallet - $0-7 • 6 touch sensors - $10 • Circuit board • Amplification
