Project Overview
The goal of this project was to create a controller and boat capable of navigating in a game around a fountain via user input. The game consisted of two teams, red and blue. Each team consisted of half the controllers and boats of the class. Individuals on the same team worked together to drive their ships through the enemy gate. The boat's fuel was represented by water in a funnel that slowly drained throughout the game; it could also be knocked over by enemy boats. When a boat ran out of fuel, the controller paired to the boat would lose control, allowing another controller on either team to pair with the ship and gain control. In order for this to be possible, each controller and boat were required to be able to connect to every other boat and controller, respectively, using a class-created communication protocol. More detailed descriptions of both the project and the communication protocol can be found below.
Design Overview
Our SHIP (boat) is Squirtle-themed. We fashioned our ANSIBLE (remote controller) to look like a pokeball, complete with the Ash Ketchum hat and vest. The inputs to the ANSIBLE were a sharp turn of the hat (accelerometer), shouting "Go Squirtle!" (microphone), and the pokeball release button. The SHIP consisted of two stabilizing hulls, with various display LEDs, a team display flag, a fuel-tank tower, and two solenoid valves to switch water flow. Our SHIP was capable of self-refueling and of firing water by using a pump and valves. For navigation we used two propellers in a differential steering configuration.