This week, getting our budget approved so we could start ordering parts was at the forefront of our priorities. We had been working for weeks weighing different options for hardware against each other to see what works best for our project in terms of robustness, easy maintenance (usability) and cost.
We started with three different budgets, each graduating in terms of those three parameters. It became important to note what the trade offs were in regards longevity and cost so we could make the most efficient decisions for our design.
This week, Niharika worked animating the 3D model of Tom using Blendshapes. With the blendshape controller it would allow a range of motion for the head, torso and mouth functions. This allowed her to animate and get a rough idea about the speed range as well as the time which allowed her to create demo animations.
Blendshape controller
Animation Demos
Niharika also worked on the UI Design for the touchscreen to control the show which will be used by naive volunteers at Give Kids the World. She created a mock demo UI for our programmer to use and create a demo to understand how to interact with the show controller. While creating the UI layout Niharika is keeping in mind that since it is meant to be for naive users who will be in the age group of 13-60 she is designing the UI which is simple and intuitive. She is also using text font and size that is easily visible and understandable.
Current UI layout
