Embedded Files
THE DOOMSDAY CALCULATOR
1. WQED Exhibition
2. Project Documentation
Elevations
Details
Power Connection
Wiring
Wall Text
Despite its apparent caution against over-reliance on technology, this piece actually conveys a more nuanced message. It reflects on the dual nature of human ingenuity: our remarkable ability to create technology that enhances our lives, expands our horizons, and deepens our understanding of the universe, juxtaposed with our inherent fallibility. As humans, we are not immune to errors, including those that might seem trivial yet have the potential to unleash significant, sometimes catastrophic consequences.
Our creations, the machines and technologies we build, are ultimately extensions of ourselves. They lack autonomy and are bound by the directives we program. Every action they perform is a mirror of our intentions, capabilities, and, inevitably, our oversights. This underscores a profound truth: when computers fail, the root cause can often be traced back to human error. In this light, each technological mishap serves as a reminder of our responsibility as the architects of these complex systems. We wield immense power in shaping the digital landscape, but with that power comes the duty to exercise caution, foresight, and continuous learning, ensuring that our technological advances remain aligned with our highest ideals and collective well-being.
Reflections
The Doomsday Calculator project represents an ambitious synthesis of concepts from previous works, marrying the complex computational capabilities of the "Special Calculator" with the narrative depth of the SOB. This iteration aims to elevate user engagement and incorporate a novel feature: a recipe printer for tangible record-keeping. Despite building upon a robust foundation, the development journey was not without its hurdles.
Initially, the project utilized a plastic keypad as a temporary stand-in while the new 4x4 metal numeric keypad was on order. However, this placeholder presented unexpected coding challenges, specifically an inability to register certain inputs during a crucial phase of calculation. This obstacle not only hindered progress but also underscored the importance of having the right materials from the start. The arrival of the metal keypad resolved the input issues, but the time lost to troubleshooting was significant—a valuable lesson in project management and the necessity of timely sourcing.
The project's design ethos leaned toward simplicity paired with elegance, sidestepping past pitfalls such as incompatible component sizing and material waste by leveraging detailed manufacturer specifications. Structurally, the code's switch-case architecture proved to be a boon, offering clarity and modularity that eased the integration of new features. However, ease of use didn't always equate to operational efficiency. An initial code iteration suffered from superfluous keypad read operations, leading to issues like double entries and erratic LCD behavior. A meticulous code review culminated in a leaner, more effective program, enhancing the user experience and the overall satisfaction of interaction with the device.
What truly brought to light the calculator's intricacies was the unanticipated ways in which the audience interacted with the device. My approach, as the designer, was naturally aligned with the intended operation of the calculator. It was only when users, uninformed of the device's precise workings, engaged with it that unobserved bugs surfaced. These interactions, free from the bias of the creator's intent, revealed critical flaws—some necessitating a system reboot. This highlighted the importance of thorough testing, simulating real-world usage beyond the controlled conditions of design and development.
In retrospect, the project served as a rich learning experience, revealing the perils of presumptive thinking. I had erroneously anticipated uniform code performance across different hardware—an assumption that proved costly. While the keypad issue eventually reached a resolution, the incident impressed upon me the need to procure materials well in advance. Had I done so, the additional time could have been invested in refining and realizing the project's full potential, particularly the advanced features I was eager to implement. Moving forward, these insights will inform my approach to design and development, ensuring that future projects are as robust in practice as they are ambitious in concept.
Code Submissions
// The Special Calculator
// Dunn (Qiyuan) Zhang
// This code will calculate the selected operations of the two inputs, and based on the circumstances, produce either a correct, or false result.
// For pin mapping, refer to the schematic provided in the project documentation site.
#include <LiquidCrystal_I2C.h>
#include <Wire.h>
#include <Keypad.h>
#include <PololuLedStrip.h>
PololuLedStrip<12> ledStrip;
#define LED_COUNT 14
rgb_color colors[LED_COUNT];
/// https://www.allaboutcircuits.com/projects/use-a-keypad-with-your-arduino/
enum { INPUT1, // first row
OPERATOR, // second row
INPUT2, // third row
ENTER, // perform calcuations (do not alter result here)
SOLUTION, // alter the result, if prompted, and then display on screen
VERIFICATION,
DUNN,
CLEAR } mode = INPUT1; // "DONE" mark the operation as complete and clear all inputs
LiquidCrystal_I2C bigScreen(0x27, 20, 4);
LiquidCrystal_I2C smallScreen(0x26, 16, 2);
const byte rows = 4;
const byte cols = 4;
const int yesPin = 11;
const int noPin = 10;
int operatorState = 0;
int currOperator = 0; // 0: None, 1: Add, 2: Subtract, 3: Multiply, 4: Division
// define key map, with assistance from Prof. Robert Zacharias
char keys[rows][cols] = {
{ '1', '4', '7', '*' },
{ '2', '5', '8', '0' },
{ '3', '6', '9', '#' },
{ 'A', 'B', 'C', 'D' }
};
byte rowPins[rows] = { 5, 4, 3, 2 };
byte colPins[cols] = { 9, 8, 7, 6 };
Keypad keypad = Keypad(makeKeymap(keys), rowPins, colPins, rows, cols);
unsigned long timer;
long inputNum1;
long inputNum2;
long resultSolution;
long correctSolution;
bool clearState = false;
bool overflow = false;
bool falseSolution = true;
int calculations = 0;
int DEFCON = 6;
bool answer;
// Count Function - provided by ChatGPT
int countDigits(unsigned long num) {
if (num == 0) return 1; // Special case for 0, as log10(0) is undefined
int count = 0;
while (num > 0) {
count++;
num /= 10;
}
return count;
}
// switch digits in a number - provided by ChatGPT
long switchRandomDigits(long num) {
String numStr = String(num); // Convert the number to a string
int len = numStr.length();
if (len < 2) return num; // No digits to switch if the number is a single digit
int pos1 = random(0, len); // Random position between 0 and len-1
int pos2;
do {
pos2 = random(0, len);
} while (pos1 == pos2); // Ensure we get two distinct positions
// Swap the digits
char temp = numStr[pos1];
numStr[pos1] = numStr[pos2];
numStr[pos2] = temp;
return numStr.toInt(); // Convert back to integer
}
void setup() {
Serial.begin(9600);
Serial.println("End of Setup");
bigScreen.init();
bigScreen.backlight();
bigScreen.home();
smallScreen.init();
smallScreen.backlight();
smallScreen.home();
pinMode(yesPin, INPUT);
pinMode(noPin, INPUT);
colors[0] = rgb_color(0, 0, 0);
colors[1] = rgb_color(0, 0, 0);
colors[2] = rgb_color(0, 0, 0);
colors[3] = rgb_color(0, 0, 0);
colors[4] = rgb_color(0, 0, 0);
colors[5] = rgb_color(0, 0, 0);
colors[6] = rgb_color(0, 0, 0);
colors[7] = rgb_color(0, 0, 0);
colors[8] = rgb_color(0, 0, 0);
colors[9] = rgb_color(0, 0, 0);
colors[10] = rgb_color(0, 0, 0);
colors[11] = rgb_color(0, 0, 0);
ledStrip.write(colors, LED_COUNT);
}
void loop() {
// Serial.println(DEFCON);
// delay(10);
bool floatSolution = false;
switch (mode) {
case INPUT1:
{
// Metal Jeypad
char key1 = keypad.getKey();
if (key1) {
if (isdigit(key1)) {
long digit = key1 - '0';
if (inputNum1 <= (2147483647 - digit) / 10) { // max of long
inputNum1 = inputNum1 * 10 + digit;
bigScreen.setCursor(0, 0);
bigScreen.print(inputNum1);
}
} else {
if (inputNum1 != 0) {
if (key1 == 'A') {
currOperator = 1;
}
if (key1 == 'B') {
currOperator = 2;
}
if (key1 == 'C') {
currOperator = 3;
}
if (key1 == 'D') {
currOperator = 4;
}
mode = OPERATOR;
}
}
// 1x4 Key strip (operators)
// for (int x = 0; x < 4; x++) {
// operatorState = digitalRead(operatorPins[x]);
// if (key1 and not isdigit(key1)) {
// if (key1 == 'A') {
// currOperator = 1;
// }
// if (key1 == 'B') {
// currOperator = 2;
// }
// if (key1 == 'C') {
// currOperator = 3;
// }
// if (key1 == 'D') {
// currOperator = 4;
// }
// // Serial.println(currOperator);
// }
// if (currOperator != 0 and inputNum1 != 0) {
// mode = OPERATOR;
// }
// if (key1 == '#') {
// inputNum1 = 0;
// bigScreen.clear();
// }
} if (key1 == '#') {
mode = CLEAR;
}
break;
}
case OPERATOR:
{
// char operations = keypad.getKey();
// if (operations and not isdigit(operations)) {
bigScreen.setCursor(0, 1);
if (currOperator == 1) {
// currOperator = 1;
// Serial.println("+");
bigScreen.print("+");
}
if (currOperator == 2) {
// currOperator = 2;
// Serial.println("-");
bigScreen.print("-");
}
if (currOperator == 3) {
// currOperator = 3;
// Serial.println("x");
bigScreen.print("x");
}
if (currOperator == 4) {
// currOperator = 4;
// Serial.println("÷");
bigScreen.print(char(0xfd));
}
// if (operations and isDigit(operations)) {
// if (currOperator != 0) {
mode = INPUT2;
// inputNum2 = operations - '0';
// bigScreen.setCursor(0, 2);
// bigScreen.print(inputNum2);
// }
// }
break;
}
case INPUT2:
{
// Metal Jeypad
char key3 = keypad.getKey();
if (key3 and isdigit(key3)) {
clearState = false;
long digit = key3 - '0';
if (inputNum2 <= (2147483647 - digit) / 10) { // max of long
inputNum2 = inputNum2 * 10 + digit;
bigScreen.setCursor(0, 2);
bigScreen.print(inputNum2);
}
}
if (key3 == '*') {
mode = ENTER;
}
if (key3 == '#') {
mode = CLEAR;
}
// clear funtion
if (key3 == '#' and clearState == false) {
bigScreen.clear();
inputNum2 = 0;
bigScreen.setCursor(0, 0);
bigScreen.print(inputNum1);
bigScreen.setCursor(0, 1);
if (currOperator == 1) {
bigScreen.print("+");
}
if (currOperator == 2) {
bigScreen.print("-");
}
if (currOperator == 3) {
bigScreen.print("x");
}
if (currOperator == 4) {
bigScreen.print(char(0xfd));
}
bigScreen.setCursor(0, 2);
bigScreen.print(inputNum2);
clearState = true;
}
// key3 = keypad.getKey();
// if (key3 == '#' and clearState == true) {
// inputNum1 = 0;
// currOperator = 0;
// inputNum2 = 0;
// mode = INPUT1;
// bigScreen.clear();
// clearState = false;
// }
break;
}
case ENTER:
{
calculations += 1;
bool solutionGenerated = false;
if (currOperator == 1) {
resultSolution = inputNum1 + inputNum2;
correctSolution = resultSolution;
solutionGenerated = true;
}
if (currOperator == 2) {
resultSolution = inputNum1 - inputNum2;
correctSolution = resultSolution;
solutionGenerated = true;
}
if (currOperator == 3) {
resultSolution = inputNum1 * inputNum2;
correctSolution = resultSolution;
if (inputNum1 != 0 and resultSolution / inputNum1 != inputNum2) {
overflow = true;
}
solutionGenerated = true;
}
if (currOperator == 4) {
resultSolution = inputNum1 / inputNum2;
correctSolution = resultSolution;
solutionGenerated = true;
}
if (solutionGenerated) {
mode = SOLUTION;
}
break;
}
case SOLUTION: // alter solution
{
int count = countDigits(resultSolution);
if ((calculations % 10 == 0) or ((millis() / 1000) % 5 == 0)) { // alter answer
Serial.println("False Answer");
// setup manipulation cases
int alterCase = random(1, 4);
Serial.println((String) "altered case:" + alterCase);
switch (alterCase) {
case 1:
Serial.println((String) "1 unaltered solution:" + resultSolution);
resultSolution += random(1, 11);
break;
case 2:
Serial.println((String) "2 unaltered solution:" + resultSolution);
resultSolution -= random(1, 11);
break;
case 3:
Serial.println((String) "3 unaltered solution:" + resultSolution);
resultSolution = switchRandomDigits(resultSolution);
break;
}
count = countDigits(resultSolution);
}
if (overflow == false) {
int startLocation = 20 - count;
bigScreen.setCursor(startLocation, 3);
bigScreen.print(resultSolution);
bigScreen.setCursor(0, 3);
bigScreen.print("=");
} else {
bigScreen.clear();
smallScreen.clear();
bigScreen.setCursor(0,0 );
bigScreen.print("TRY AGAIN");
bigScreen.setCursor(0, 1);
bigScreen.print("Output TOO BIG.....");
bigScreen.setCursor(0, 2);
bigScreen.print("EXCEEDS MAX OF LONG");
delay(5000);
inputNum1 = 0;
inputNum2 = 0;
currOperator = 0;
overflow = false;
bigScreen.clear();
smallScreen.clear();
mode = INPUT1;
break;
}
// Serial.println((String) "calculations:" + calculations);
Serial.println((String) "Current Calculation: " + calculations);
Serial.println((String) "Current Time: " + millis());
mode = VERIFICATION;
break;
}
case VERIFICATION:
{
smallScreen.setCursor(0, 0);
smallScreen.print("Is It Correct?");
smallScreen.setCursor(0, 1);
smallScreen.print("YES");
smallScreen.setCursor(14, 1);
smallScreen.print("NO");
if (resultSolution != correctSolution) { // if the produced result is wrong
if (digitalRead(yesPin)) {
DEFCON -= 1;
answer = false;
// Serial.println(DEFCON);
mode = DUNN;
break;
}
if (digitalRead(noPin)) {
mode = DUNN;
answer = true;
}
} else { // if the produced result is correct
if (digitalRead(noPin)) {
DEFCON -= 1;
answer = false;
// Serial.println(DEFCON);
mode = DUNN;
break;
}
if (digitalRead(yesPin)) {
mode = DUNN;
answer = true;
}
}
break;
}
case DUNN:
{
{
Serial.println(DEFCON);
mode = INPUT1;
inputNum1 = 0;
inputNum2 = 0;
currOperator = 0;
overflow = false;
bigScreen.clear();
smallScreen.clear();
if (answer == false) {
if (DEFCON == 5) {
colors[0] = rgb_color(0, 0, 255);
colors[1] = rgb_color(0, 0, 255);
colors[2] = rgb_color(0, 0, 0);
colors[3] = rgb_color(0, 0, 0);
colors[4] = rgb_color(0, 0, 0);
colors[5] = rgb_color(0, 0, 0);
colors[6] = rgb_color(0, 0, 0);
colors[7] = rgb_color(0, 0, 0);
colors[8] = rgb_color(0, 0, 0);
colors[9] = rgb_color(0, 0, 0);
bigScreen.setCursor(0, 0);
bigScreen.print("WIFI CUTS OUT");
delay(5000);
bigScreen.clear();
}
if (DEFCON == 4) {
colors[0] = rgb_color(0, 0, 0);
colors[1] = rgb_color(0, 0, 0);
colors[2] = rgb_color(0, 255, 0);
colors[3] = rgb_color(0, 255, 0);
colors[4] = rgb_color(0, 255, 0);
colors[5] = rgb_color(0, 0, 0);
colors[6] = rgb_color(0, 0, 0);
colors[7] = rgb_color(0, 0, 0);
colors[8] = rgb_color(0, 0, 0);
colors[9] = rgb_color(0, 0, 0);
colors[10] = rgb_color(0, 0, 0);
colors[11] = rgb_color(0, 0, 0);
bigScreen.setCursor(0, 0);
bigScreen.print("GPS STOPS WORKING");
delay(5000);
bigScreen.clear();
}
if (DEFCON == 3) {
colors[0] = rgb_color(0, 0, 0);
colors[1] = rgb_color(0, 0, 0);
colors[2] = rgb_color(0, 0, 0);
colors[3] = rgb_color(0, 0, 0);
colors[4] = rgb_color(0, 0, 0);
colors[5] = rgb_color(255, 255, 0);
colors[6] = rgb_color(255, 255, 0);
colors[7] = rgb_color(0, 0, 0);
colors[8] = rgb_color(0, 0, 0);
colors[9] = rgb_color(0, 0, 0);
colors[10] = rgb_color(0, 0, 0);
colors[11] = rgb_color(0, 0, 0);
bigScreen.setCursor(0, 0);
bigScreen.print("BANKING SYSTEM");
bigScreen.setCursor(0, 1);
bigScreen.print("COLLAPSE");
delay(5000);
bigScreen.clear();
}
if (DEFCON == 2) {
colors[0] = rgb_color(0, 0, 0);
colors[1] = rgb_color(0, 0, 0);
colors[2] = rgb_color(0, 0, 0);
colors[3] = rgb_color(0, 0, 0);
colors[4] = rgb_color(0, 0, 0);
colors[5] = rgb_color(0, 0, 0);
colors[6] = rgb_color(0, 0, 0);
colors[7] = rgb_color(255, 128, 0);
colors[8] = rgb_color(255, 128, 0);
colors[9] = rgb_color(0, 0, 0);
colors[10] = rgb_color(0, 0, 0);
colors[11] = rgb_color(0, 0, 0);
bigScreen.setCursor(0, 0);
bigScreen.print("GLOBAL TENSION");
bigScreen.setCursor(0, 1);
bigScreen.print("HIGHEST");
bigScreen.setCursor(0, 2);
bigScreen.print("SINCE CUBA");
delay(5000);
bigScreen.clear();
}
if (DEFCON == 1) {
colors[0] = rgb_color(0, 0, 0);
colors[1] = rgb_color(0, 0, 0);
colors[2] = rgb_color(0, 0, 0);
colors[3] = rgb_color(0, 0, 0);
colors[4] = rgb_color(0, 0, 0);
colors[5] = rgb_color(0, 0, 0);
colors[6] = rgb_color(0, 0, 0);
colors[7] = rgb_color(0, 0, 0);
colors[8] = rgb_color(0, 0, 0);
colors[9] = rgb_color(255, 0, 0);
colors[10] = rgb_color(255, 0, 0);
colors[11] = rgb_color(255, 0, 0);
bigScreen.setCursor(0, 0);
bigScreen.print("REGIONAL WARS");
bigScreen.setCursor(0, 1);
bigScreen.print("BREAK OUT");
delay(5000);
bigScreen.clear();
}
if (DEFCON == 0) {
colors[0] = rgb_color(255, 0, 0);
colors[1] = rgb_color(255, 0, 0);
colors[2] = rgb_color(255, 0, 0);
colors[3] = rgb_color(255, 0, 0);
colors[4] = rgb_color(255, 0, 0);
colors[5] = rgb_color(255, 0, 0);
colors[6] = rgb_color(255, 0, 0);
colors[7] = rgb_color(255, 0, 0);
colors[8] = rgb_color(255, 0, 0);
colors[9] = rgb_color(255, 0, 0);
colors[10] = rgb_color(255, 0, 0);
colors[11] = rgb_color(255, 0, 0);
ledStrip.write(colors, LED_COUNT);
bigScreen.setCursor(0, 0);
bigScreen.print("ACCIDENTAL NUCLEAR");
bigScreen.setCursor(0, 1);
bigScreen.print("LAUNCH FROM NORAD");
bigScreen.setCursor(0, 3);
bigScreen.print("WWIII");
delay(5000);
DEFCON = 6; // reset color here
colors[0] = rgb_color(0, 0, 0);
colors[1] = rgb_color(0, 0, 0);
colors[2] = rgb_color(0, 0, 0);
colors[3] = rgb_color(0, 0, 0);
colors[4] = rgb_color(0, 0, 0);
colors[5] = rgb_color(0, 0, 0);
colors[6] = rgb_color(0, 0, 0);
colors[7] = rgb_color(0, 0, 0);
colors[8] = rgb_color(0, 0, 0);
colors[9] = rgb_color(0, 0, 0);
colors[10] = rgb_color(0, 0, 0);
colors[11] = rgb_color(0, 0, 0);
mode = INPUT1;
inputNum1 = 0;
inputNum2 = 0;
currOperator = 0;
overflow = false;
bigScreen.clear();
smallScreen.clear();
}
}
}
ledStrip.write(colors, LED_COUNT);
break;
}
case CLEAR:
{
inputNum1 = 0;
inputNum2 = 0;
currOperator = 0;
bigScreen.clear();
smallScreen.clear();
mode = INPUT1;
}
}
}
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