Shortcuts | 2009 | Arduino, Various Sensors, LED Lights, Plastics
Designed in collaboration with Jackey Ling to bring sensors and electronics into a consumer-based product. Shortcuts bring physical interaction between the user and computer games, specifically RPG (role-playing games) and RTS (real-time strategy). With modern complex RPG and RTS games, there are many complex menus and sub-menus to access specific weapons or attributes for the game's characters. Shortcuts bring physical game board interaction by allowing the user to place specific pieces to trigger specific tasks on the game. The player now can place a health piece on the sensor and the gaming character's health can be replenished.
Computer games have been a very major market in the entertainment industry. Hard core gamers often collect figurines and memorabilia of their favorite games. Shortcuts can tap into that market by combining the passion between gaming and collecting. Much like popular trading card games like Pokeomn, special limited edition "power-up" pieces can be placed in limited edition game packages, given away in convention trade shows, or purchased. This brings the collecting aspect of gaming together with hard core gamers, which often share the same market.
Shortcut is a functioning prototype using the Arduino and various sensors including RF-tags and weight-activated switches. The Arduino is programmed to sense when a piece is placed on top of the base. Depending on the piece and how it’s programmed, the base while flash colors lights to indicate how much "power" is left for that piece. When the power is drained the base will flash red before it stops. When a piece is removed it stores how much power is left, so when the user places that same piece it continues the power level from the same level. Each piece has its own RF tag, so the system can sense
The concept is best used with development of a game as supposed to as an enhanced added controller over existing games.
