Description

Using two DC motors and a belt, we constructed a game to teach young children left and right. A Processing application sends a code to the belt to vibrate the left or right motor, then the player chooses which motor vibrated. The selectors are placed vertically on the screen so the only mapping is linguistic. Choosing correctly raises the score; incorrectly lowers it.

Components used

Arduino diecimila

Breadboard

Two DC motors

Two transistors

Two diodes

Two AA batteries

Hemp belt

Arduino code

/*
 * LRbelt
 * Andrew McDiarmid
 *
 * Receives a byte of serial data, either 'R' or 'L', ans spins
 * the appropriate motor on a belt worn by the user.
 *
 * Accompanying Processing code controls bytes sent to arduino
 */

int rightMotorPin = 6;
int leftMotorPin = 9;
char sideToVibrate;

void setup() {
  Serial.begin(9600);
  digitalWrite(rightMotorPin, LOW);
  digitalWrite(leftMotorPin, LOW);
  Serial.print("go");                                 //Tell Processing "I'm ready."
 
}
void loop() {
  if(!Serial.available()) {
    return;
  } else {
      sideToVibrate = (char) Serial.read();
  }
  if (sideToVibrate == 'R'){
    for (int i = 0; i < 256; i++){
      analogWrite(rightMotorPin, i);
      delay(10);
    }
      delay(100);
      digitalWrite(rightMotorPin, LOW);
  } else if (sideToVibrate == 'L'){
       for (int i = 0; i < 256; i++){
      analogWrite(leftMotorPin, i);
      delay(10);
       }
      delay(100);
      digitalWrite(leftMotorPin, LOW);
    } else {                                             //Gives a haptic error if a
    for (int i = 0; i < 3; i++){                    //char that's not 'L' or 'R'
      digitalWrite(rightMotorPin, HIGH);      //is received.
      digitalWrite(leftMotorPin, HIGH);
      delay(500);
      digitalWrite(rightMotorPin, LOW);
      digitalWrite(leftMotorPin, LOW);
      delay(500);
    }     
  }
}
 

Processing code

link

Photos

link