The Reactive Ball

Tasked to us was to create a functional prototype of physical computing, we created a physical computing masterpiece, The Reactive Ball.

The ball was created from an initial concept to make sporting equipment more reactive and to stir greater interest in physical interaction in the younger generations.

Using a open-source programming board called the Arduino, we programmed and designed a hot potato style game to fulfil our success criteria of a functional prototype of physical computing.

Key concepts studied during the Project were:

Project Design: We were given the very open ended task of creating a functional prototype of Physical Computing. Through brainstorming sessions we were able to take our basic concepts and develop them into a working prototype.

Project Management: Our time frame for this project was one semester from start to finish. We had to manage our time efficiently so that we allowed ourselves enough time for the design process whilst not cutting into time reserved for troubleshooting and the physical build.

Interaction Design: We had to study how users would interact with the Reactive Ball, and base design aspects off our findings.

SWOT Analysis: A strategic planning method used to evaluate Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats in a project. As this was a group assignment, the SWOT analysis was invaluable in locating strengths and weaknesses in team members, as to task the right assignments to the right team members.

S.M.A.R.T: The process of setting Specific Measurable Attainable Realistic Timely goals for a project.

Concepts such as Human Computer Interaction and Social and Mobile Computing also played pivotal roles in shaping our design process.

Below are some photographs taken at our group's public demonstration of the Reactive Ball.

Players wear colour coded headbands to distinguish which user the ball needs to be passed to.

Users interacting with the ball.

Notice the colour change as the ball is caught.