User Interface Challange

User Interface Challenge: Electronic Halloween Candy Dispenser

Teams for 4 student will build the user interface for an electronic candy dispenser. All MAE154 candy dispensers will be on display in the waiting area outside the MAE Student Affairs office available for students to interact with. The objective is to get as many students to interact with your device in the intended manner.

Each team will have the following resources:

• • Android cellphone (motion sensor, microphone, speaker, etc.)

  • Lego NXT controller with motors, and assortment of Lego parts.

  • Lego NXT sensors of: touch, proximity, sound, and light.

  • 2 foot long PVC tube sized to fit Hershey Nuggets (and a supply of the candy).

  • Reference design of candy dispenser that can be copied or modified.

  • MIT App Inventor software used to program Android device to control with NXT controller via Bluetooth. RobotC can also be used.

  • Class funds will reimburse $20 per team for parts used. Team can spend their own money for additional resources.

Constraints and Guidelines

• • Physical size cannot exceed 1' width (facing front), 2' depth, 3' height. Devices will be placed on standard height table.

  • The candy cannot be visible, and no words can be displayed on the device. Sounds can only be initiated after a user interacts with a device.

  • The device can only dispense a maximum of 1 candy per 30 seconds (this requires good signifiers to avoid user frustration).

  • The device will be put on display during the week of October 27-31. MAE154 teams will take turns filling up candy for all class devices.

  • Video recordings will be done of the area (a note will be posted so students are aware of this).

  • The device should send a text message whenever a candy is successfully dispensed (this can be done with MIT App Inventor).

  • No gaming the system by having friends come in with instructions to interact more with your device than others.

Grading

• • Oral Presentation on Friday 10/31 (Halloween!)

  • Interpretation of user experience (both good and bad).

  • Return of all kit parts in week following Halloween.

Reimbursement

Each team can claim up to 20 dollars in reimbursements. Only one person per team can submit the reimbursement form. You will need to complete the Personal Reimbursement Form and paper clip all the receipts to the form. After that submit it to the TA anytime during next week (10/27 - 10/31).

First Assignment - Due Friday of Week 1 (10/10) at beginning of lab section

• • Each student should create a hand-sketch of a concept to build. Give the concept a name and label parts. See example of hand drawn concept sketch.

Devices are to be installed during section on Friday 10/24.

• • Monitor events and operation of device during week of 10/20-10/24

Oral Presentation

Friday 10/31 during lab section in EBU2-239. Presentations will be limited to 8 minutes per team.

• Print out a hardcopy of the presentation with the name of the student presenting the slide bottom of each page

• Students can watch presentations from both sections, but the presentations will be held in the appropriate section times to accommodate student who have classes.

Include in presentation:

• Description of how device works from user perspective. Make sure to include annotated photo.

  • See Example of effective use of annotations: Cheetah Prosthesis

• Video of device in operation under optimal conditions. User can be team member.

• Technical explanation of how it works. Photos of inside, brief software overview, etc.

  • Summary of machine operation

    • Show selected video clips of real users interacting with device

    • What user interface aspects worked as expected.

    • What surprises where there.

    • How reliable was the device technically (software and mechanical hardware)

    • Quantitative results: number of candies dispensed.

  • Lessons learned and how they could be applied to future designs.

Grading Criteria

• Oral presentation grade will be based upon:

  • Clarity. It must be possible for someone to understand how device works even if they did not see it.

  • Insights into human interface aspects learned from project.

• Physical Design: Overall design as well as proper functioning during the week.

  • If the device is not fully functioning when deployed, teams are encouraged to make corrections and let instructor know.

• Peer Review.

  • After the oral presentation all team members will be provided a form to rate the contribution of their team members.

Peer Review

The Peer Review is to be completed AFTER the oral presentations, but by Sunday Nov 2 midnight. It will take just 10 minutes, but is a required part of the class.

https://sites.google.com/a/eng.ucsd.edu/pde/assignments/peer-review