Hi everyone! Welcome to week 6 of our project. We had our quarters last week and we got some really valuable feedback. Following which we had a meeting with our client which eventually led us to make changes to our process, design pillars and goals for the semester.
Design Pillars: (Update)
We were aiming for experiences that would be suitable for both adults and kids, which would be difficult and pose a lot of restrictions, rather we aimed to focus on games targeting specific demographic. In summary the updated pillars are noted below:
- Experiences best suited for Cozmo’s Capabilities
- Experiences that are satisfying for Adults and kids
- Playing with Not as Cozmo
- Mechanics First
Goals: (Update)
Upon discussing with the client after the feedback we have a clearer picture of what our goals are:
- Explore innovative interactions between Cozmo and guests
- Deliver engaging experiences to Anki
- Focus on interactions for Cozmo and guests (one or more)
New SDK:
Midweek we got an updated SDK. In the new SDK we can work with Cozmo’s custom display, use annotations for face and objects and work with custom objects using custom markers. We will be exploring this feature in the future weeks. Overall there is an improvement in existing features with the new SDK and in general improvement in quality of life features.
Process:
Initially we brainstormed a lot of ideas until we got Cozmos and the SDK. Once we started working on the Alpha version of the SDK for Cozmo, we noticed we had to work with a lot of restrictions. This resulted in us having to axe a lot of the ideas.
Now we were no longer in a blue-sky situation, instead we are working with a set of restrictions. As mentioned in the previous week, we decided to use a prompt based weekly prototyping approach. We would be working on a prompt for a week, and at the end of the week we will vote to choose a different prompt.
Development:
Each programmer worked on developing one prototype. Links of the videos are posted
So the prompt for the week was “Reflex Games.” We focused on developing prototypes based on our brainstorming session:
Pong Game
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pVb4aNsK0YU
Power Down
Razzle Dazzle Cozmo (Color) Puzzle
Face Detection – Peek-a-boo
First Year students with Cozmo:
This week Cozmo was made available as a platform for the first year students. Two groups worked with Cozmo in a week long sprint in developing an experience. We supported both the teams in their development efforts.
Team 41 : Worked on a spelling bee with two Cozmos and using a third Cozmo as a judge. The spelling bee was using Morse code by tapping cubes to complete the words.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K7imyx1OZkg
Team 47: Developed a racing game with two levels. The guests maneuverability is determined by cube tapping mini-game followed by using a ps4 controller to move Cozmo.
Company Visits:
- EA visited our project and we got some really interesting feedback. They liked our process and the changes we made especially our prototypes. They would like to see more with Cozmo especially adult games involving subversion / face-detection.
- Robyn Miller from Cyan Worlds Inc. visited us early in the week, they enjoyed playing with Cozmo and the prototypes. They wanted us to focus on story, so everything doesn’t seem arbitrary.
For the next week we will be exploring interactions with Camera and Custom Markers. Thanks for checking in! Do drop by next week for more updates!