The goal of Eric’s Rat Cleanup is to present players with an exciting, fun, and slightly aggressive game experience, using various sensors—such as buttons, vibration, and pressure sensors—to fully immerse them. Additionally, components like a spinner, OLED, and stepper motors enhance the experience, making it clear and engaging. To an extent, the project aligns with my definition of interaction. It meets my criteria for interaction by being engaging and requiring active participation from the audience. However, it falls short of my ideal, as it lacks a second party and a clearly defined “end goal.”

Overall, the audience responded positively, mostly acting in ways I had anticipated. During the presentation, however, my classmates didn’t fully understand how to interact with the sensors or how to input correctly to make the stepper motors move. This was a bit disappointing, as my partner and I had tried to make the signs as obvious as possible. The experience underscored how challenging it can be to design cues and visuals that intuitively guide people to interact with a project as intended.

If I had more time, I would definitely add elements to make the project feel more intense and aggressive, so people approach it with more force and engage with the sensors as intended. I’d also work on developing the countdown timer. Still, despite these reflections, I believe my partner and I gave it our best effort. We went to the lab daily over two weeks, averaging 5–6 hours per session. We also spent many late nights on this project, often sacrificing sleep and other assignments, especially with midterms underway. This project challenged me mentally and physically, and ultimately, the most valuable lesson I took from these setbacks was to trust the process, respect the time required, and persevere, no matter the obstacles.