Contestobot-400
Invent-O-Doc
Posts: 768
I'm a Doctor who works at an Army chemical defense laboratory where we teach courses to doctors, nurses·and medics.···I·made these Contestobots to increase·interactivity of a jeopardy style game show called "Chem Squares" which we use for review.·· The software is written in flash (can't read a serial port normally, reads keycodes ok), and the SX-28s are·programmed in SX/B.··
Contestobot-400 consists of 8 transmitter units and a receiver.·· Each transmitter consists of an SX-microcontroller protoboard, XBee, three buttons (one illuminated), and a buzzer.· They operate off of 4 AA batteries.·· Each unit is oversized and overbuilt to withstand rough handling.
Each board has a 3.3V regulator and a 5V (for programming)· The receiver consistes of an SX28-Protoboard, XBee PRO module (better reception), and a USB keyboard encoder (Ultimarc.com) typically used for arcade controls. The Receiver gets 5V from USB.
The giant buttons were procured at sparkfun.com, other parts through parallax and Jameco, though initially a purchase request from a gambling machine supply house for the buttons was rejected by govt purchasing.·· Cases were spraypainted, the front panels were printed on glossy paper with a color laser and·spray painted with clear coat.· Project budget was about $900.
Although Chem-Squares uses just the big button, each device has two accessory buttons because I intend to use these with more than one program; including a simulated neurpn that gets slimed with nerve agent.
Since starting to use these, the competition and fun of the game show has increased a lot- and we get through more review material during the session.· These have proven very popular.·· Pictures are attached, enjoy!
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Tom Talbot
New Market, MD, USA
Contestobot-400 consists of 8 transmitter units and a receiver.·· Each transmitter consists of an SX-microcontroller protoboard, XBee, three buttons (one illuminated), and a buzzer.· They operate off of 4 AA batteries.·· Each unit is oversized and overbuilt to withstand rough handling.
Each board has a 3.3V regulator and a 5V (for programming)· The receiver consistes of an SX28-Protoboard, XBee PRO module (better reception), and a USB keyboard encoder (Ultimarc.com) typically used for arcade controls. The Receiver gets 5V from USB.
The giant buttons were procured at sparkfun.com, other parts through parallax and Jameco, though initially a purchase request from a gambling machine supply house for the buttons was rejected by govt purchasing.·· Cases were spraypainted, the front panels were printed on glossy paper with a color laser and·spray painted with clear coat.· Project budget was about $900.
Although Chem-Squares uses just the big button, each device has two accessory buttons because I intend to use these with more than one program; including a simulated neurpn that gets slimed with nerve agent.
Since starting to use these, the competition and fun of the game show has increased a lot- and we get through more review material during the session.· These have proven very popular.·· Pictures are attached, enjoy!
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Tom Talbot
New Market, MD, USA
800 x 648 - 73K
1024 x 113 - 29K
800 x 484 - 45K
293 x 233 - 46K
640 x 480 - 78K
Comments
[noparse][[/noparse]edit by Bean] I moved it for you.
Post Edited By Moderator (Bean (Hitt Consulting)) : 11/14/2009 3:36:29 AM GMT
-Phil
You should consider a "Revision B" and use the 433 MHz RF Transceiver so that you can enter it into the 2010 RF Design Contest.
Does the flash app pull from a text file, so that it's easily changeable?
Any chances of looking at your code or getting a "public" version of the flash app? Given your environment, it's completely understood if you've already shared your limits.
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Andrew Williams
WBA Consulting
WBA-TH1M Sensirion SHT11 Module
Special Olympics Polar Bear Plunge, Mar 20, 2010
As far as questions go, here is a sample of categories from the default edition:
I'll attach the program manual so you can see what it does.·· The questions themselves are not classified at all and the program is freeware but hasn't been released to the public yet for distribution.· I'm still getting a few bugs out of the question sets.
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Tom Talbot
New Market, MD, USA
Do you have available schematics and source code so others may try and create something like this?
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Chris Savage
Parallax Engineering
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