Results and Reflections

Our project was a great mix of electrical, programming, and mechanical challenges that pushed our team to make a good-working system. More importantly, it was a project that we were able to complete in the allotted time. We think much of our success stems from the fact that our project, while not refined or bug-free, was a complete working system. It used each of our mechanical, electrical, and programming talents.

However, the biggest issue that came up in this project was that of specialization. We ran into problems where we would want to give feedback on parts of the design, but it would be too late for them to actually be incorporated. It would have been best had we all been together, working at the same time on the same parts.

There are things that we would have liked to refine or address.

• We would like to have investigated other methods of driving the etch-a-sketch. Our o-ring solution was not ideal because of our reliance on the belt dressing. We would have liked to investigate other materials that may have worked better.

• Additional functionality, including games. We had one suggestion for a very simple game given to us by another ME 333 student. The idea was for a "mask" for the etch-a-sketch screen that covered most of the screen except for a maze or other type of path, requiring the user to follow the path. If they went outside the lines, they lost. This would have eliminated many of the programming issues we had with implementing a complex game or maze in the handyboard.

• Better angle resolution. The etch-a-sketch slipped into several discrete angles when not horizontal or vertical. This could have been accomplished with better speed control using external electronics, which we did not have time to implement.

• We also completely ignored doing any sort of user testing. At the public demonstration we received lots of feedback that would have improved the interface of our design greatly, but it was too late.

Overall, the experience was rewarding in terms of experience gained and in fun times spent.

Links to each member's reflections: Dan's, Numpon's, and Owen's.