Project 1 – The AnyBall game

Upon receiving the instructions to make this project I knew that I wanted to make a game. My general idea was to make a game which would signal when a ball hit the assigned space. The assigned surface would be a kind of sandwich containing 2-3 layers. The first layer (bottom) would be cardboard to contrast from the rest of the ‘game board’, the second aluminum for conductivity and the third a flexible conductive fabric that a ball would hit. The circuit for the LED would be complete when the aluminium and upper layer connect. I began by making a few sketches: There were a couple of designs that I thought of. One of the ideas consisted of circles but I decided against it because it would logistically be a hassle. Using a square or rectangle would work just as well and without the trouble.

The box itself is cardboard as it is inexpensive and easy to use. I began to make the box by designing it using Adobe Illustrator. After making the design, I used the laser cutter to make the box parts.

Next I spray painted all the parts to make it more aesthetically pleasing. Silver was the only paint available to me.

After doing this, I tested some fabrics for the upper layer of the sandwich. Upon testing some, I decided on chicken wire as it was both flexible and the most conductive. After choosing chicken wire, I also lined the bottom of the assigned space square with aluminium. After making sure the LED turns on, I cut and taped some wire to both the aluminum and chicken wire. I put all of the parts together using hot glue.

It is aesthetically displeasing but I could not use electrical tape as it would not hold the chicken wire.

Upon finishing the construction, I wired all of the parts together. This is a picture of the final product:

 

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *