P-Comp Final: Feedback From Class

November 18th, 2009

I got a lot of helpful feedback from my classmates today:

  • Give more positive reinforcement when they pick the right foods
  • Instead of counting calories, make it like a game, like a star that fills up if you’re eating the right foods
  • If the tray is empty or if they only take water, alert the school nurse that we have a possible anorexic on our hands (thanks Benji and Shahar)
  • Some people need to eat more than others, like athletes. So maybe have some sort of user input about their body type, weight, what their plans are after they eat (play WOW, run a mile, etc)
  • Be nice about negative feedback. If a kid loads up on fried chicken, sundaes, and soda, say something like, “Whoa there, are you planning on running 10 miles after lunch?”
  • Give a healthy treat in real-life if they win at eating right
  • Make the bad foods (fried chicken) really heavy and the good foods (apple) light
  • RFIDs
  • Resistor method with two contact points
  • Color detection in Processing (green = good, white = bad)
  • All 5 sections don’t need to be completed. They can have just a cake and a frappuccino as long as they don’t eat anything else (Weight Watchers does this)
  • Consider not latching the tray because kids might be frustrated and not understand why the tray is stuck. Might resort to stealing food off the tray.
  • Need to think more about my audience. Talk to Julio’s wife who teaches little kids.
  • Do keep food crocheted (classmates asked if I would crochet food, cheered after I said yes)

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P-Comp Final Mockups

November 18th, 2009
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P-Comp Media Controller

November 15th, 2009

For our midterm we made a human-sized wind chime out of plastic balls. Each ball responds to touch by playing a chime and lighting up.

Patricia has an excellent write-up on her blog.

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Transistor, H-Bridge and Multiple Output Labs

November 15th, 2009

Multiple-Serial Output:

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P-Comp Final: Brainstorming with Chris

November 9th, 2009

My final is going to be a mini-cafeteria used to teach kids about eating right. I’ve modeled it after a traditional school lunch setup, where they have 6 elements (main course, side, dessert, salad/fruit, drink). I’ll present them with 6 choices for each course, and then if they go overboard on the calories, they won’t be able to take their lunch tray away. It’ll be supplemented with a Processing sketch of a cafeteria lady (I’m thinking Lunch Lady Doris meets Cooking Mama) who walks you through the whole thing, and a calorie meter to keep track of what you’re eating. Read the rest of this entry »

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