My project, named Ludus, is an innovative twist on the classic game of Tic-Tac-Toe. It uses joystick modules and an 8×8 NeoPixel RGB LED matrix to create an interactive experience where the game is played against another player or against a smart, automated system. The project transforms a simple game into an engaging, high-tech experience to make decisions and move game pieces. I’m deeply passionate about this project because it combines my interests in robotics and games, allowing me to apply my skills in programming, electronics, and robotics in a fun and practical way. 

Main source of inspiration is of a previous experience working as STEM instructor my students wanted to build a Tic Tac Toe game using Arduino using buttons and RGB LEDs as shown in the video attached. So not only inspired by similar projects that leverage basic AI and robotics but also by the fact that we can replace the huge number of buttons and LEDs to create interactive experiences that elevates traditional gameplay. For further context, you can find similar projects on platforms like Instructables, where enthusiasts have built robots to play Tic-Tac-Toe using basic electronics and Arduino code.

I used a combination of Fusion 360 and LaserCAD to craft Ludus in a cabinet/arcade shape.

• Software: 

1. Fusion 360 for its robust design capabilities, which allowed me to assemble detailed and precise bodies of the holder. Moreover, creating all the components of my design and join them together enabled me to have a better vision of how it would look like after the assembly.  

2. GrabCAD: A website from which electronic components were added to my project on Fusion360.  

3. LaserCAD: used to enable precise cutting and speed cutting , which is essential for creating detailed and accurate designs the game logo.

4. Convertio: A website used to convert my chosen decoration pictures of JPEG or PNG extensions to .DXF

1. Design Process in Fusion 360

• • I started a new design by applying rule number #1 by saving my file and creating a new component for the arcade sides.

  • Using the Rectangle tool, I drew one of dimensions (200*60) mm

  • I used the Line tool to drew a line of (160 mm) on which the Neopixel and OLED will be mounted. Using the Line I extended the right side of the rectangle to close the shape of the arcade side.

  • Using the Rectangle Tool (R) to draw tabs of dimensions (20*3) mm to fit in the base and the back sides. 

  • Using the Rectangle tool, I drew to rectangles of shown dimensions to form the T-slot. I've sketched two T-slots for both base and back sides.

  • Using the Circle and Offset tools to form the shown hinge to have an easy access to the electronic kit inside the prototype. 

  • Using the Mirror tool to duplicate that face to form the other side but deleting one of the tabs of the base and forming the Arduino openings for mounting purposes as shown.

  • Extruding the sketch with Extrude tool with 3mm thickness then aligning them

  • Creating a new component for the Neopixel/OLED face, building a new sketch on the tabs of the side parts after manually aligning them and using Project tool to fit the shapes together.

  • Using the Rectangle tool to sketch different opening on the Neopixel/OLED face for Neopixel (69*69) mm, OLED (27*19) mm and two openings of dimensions (10*10) mm for Neopixel pins. Finally extruding the shape 3 mm as well.

  • Assembling those 3 parts together with the tool Joint to make sure that the projections are suitable. 

  • Creating a new component for Joystick modules, building a new sketch on the tabs of the side parts and using Project tool to fit the shapes together.

  • Using the Rectangle, circle tools to sketch different opening for the Joysticks of shown dimensions and creating for circles for the Joystick module screws for mounting. I then extruded the body 3 mm.

  • Assembling the Joystick body with the sides with the tool Joint to make sure that the projections are fitting. 

  • Creating a new component for Switch face.

  • Using the Rectangle tool to sketch a the switch face of shown dimensions and Circle tool for the switch opening. I then extruded the body 3 mm. A T-slot was sketched to attach the face to the base and duplicated with Mirror tool.

  • Assembling the Switch body with the sides with the tool Joint to make sure that the projections are fitting. 

  • Creating a new component for the Arcade ceiling.

  • Using the Rectangle tool to sketch the part and Project tool to build all the slots to fit in the side parts tabs. I then extruded the body 3 mm.

  • Assembling the Ceiling body with the sides & Neopixel/OLED parts with the tool Joint to make sure that the projections are fitting. 

  • Creating a new component for the back rigid part and called it Back1.

  • Using the Rectangle tool to sketch the part and Project tool to build all the slots to fit in the side parts tabs. I also used the Circle tool to project the T-slot openings of the side parts and then extruded the body 3 mm.

  • Assembling the Rigid Back body with the sides & Ceiling bodies with the tool Joint to make sure that the projections are fitting. 

  • Creating a new component for the back hinge.

  • Using the Rectangle tool to sketch the part and Project tool to build all the slots to fit in the side parts tabs. Projecting on the tab but making the slot 10 mm larger to make sure it fits.

  • Building the hinge as follows; Using number of rectangles with Rectangle tool of shown dimensions and only extruding the ones which will shape the hinge of 3 mm.

  • Assembling the Back hinge body with the sides bodies with the tool Joint to make sure that the projections are fitting. 

  • Using the Orbit tool and flipping the whole assembled Arcade body to build the base upon the Tabs and T-slots using the Project tool.

  • Using the Circle tool to build openings for T-slots & Arduino screws of shown dimensions.

  • Assembling the Base body with the sides & Switch bodies with the tool Joint to make sure that the projections are fitting. 

  • Using GrabCAD to download all the electronic components.

  • Importing components by using Show Data Panel >> New Project >> New Folder; and I name the folder under mounting components as shown.

  • Using the Joint tool to assemble all the electronic components, screws and nuts to make sure that my measurments were suitable.

  • I have built a new component for the Neopixel/OLED body to cover their shape by crating a sketch on the Tabs and decorate this body. 

  • Designing Ludus logo on Canva, importing the picture as JPEG and using Convertio to convert it into a DXF file. This DXF file was imported on RDWorks.

• Machines:

  • Laser Cutter: 

I fabricated my project twice because of the size of the plywood sheet in Dokki (2.7 mm). The machine in Creativa Giza  I used is "Malky ML64 CO2 Laser Cutter.". In FabLab the machine is El Malky ML149 CO2 Laser Cutter. 

• Materials:

  • All the sides of Ludus were cut on a Plywood sheet.

  • Ludus is assembled using Tabs, screws and nuts (M3), utilising the T-slot technique. 

• Software:

  • LaserCAD: used to enable precise cutting and speed cutting , which is essential for creating detailed and accurate designs the game logo.

  • RDWorks.

• Importing to Laser Cutter Software:

  • The design was imported into the ElMalky CO2 Laser Cutter’s software by using LaserCAD & RDWorks and downloading the design into the machine files.

  • Placement: The design was positioned on the virtual material sheet within the software to optimise the material usage and ensure correct alignment.

• Setting Parameters:

  • The material chosen was 3 mm plywood.

  • Laser parameters like power, speed, and modes as shown above

1. Cutting Process

• Material Preparation:

  • The plywood sheet was placed on the laser cutter's bed, and the machine was checked to ensure proper focus and alignment.

  • The sheet was leveled, and the origin was set to match the starting point of the design using Box & Origin buttons on the machine.

• Cutting Execution:

  • The laser cutter was started, following the paths defined in the design file.

  • The cutting process was monitored to ensure precision and to avoid any interruptions such as material shifting or incomplete cuts.

2. Post-Processing

• Cleaning: Any burn marks, residue from the cutting process or even the tabs were gently sanded off with a sanding paper. A damp cloth was used to wipe off any dust or debris.

• Spraying: I sprayed the side, switch, joystick and back parts with black spray paint to have a better appearance and more arcade-like.

• Assembling: The arcade parts were assembled with tabs, screws and nuts.

Description of the Electronic Circuit for Ludus

The electronic circuit for the Ludus integrates input components (joysticks), processing (Arduino), and action components (Neopixel LED matrix, OLED display, and buzzer) to create an interactive smart system.

🛠 Components Used

1. Input Components:

   • Two Joystick Modules (XY + Push Button)

     • Used for player movement across the grid.

     • Each player has a dedicated joystick to control their cursor.

     • The X-axis moves the cursor left/right, and the Y-axis moves it up/down.

     • The button press places an "X" or "O" on the board.

2. Processing Unit:

   • Arduino Uno

     • Reads input from the joysticks.

     • Updates the display and Neopixel matrix accordingly.

     • Checks for winning conditions and triggers animations when a player wins.

3. Action Components:

   • 8×8 Neopixel LED Matrix

     • Displays the 3×3 Tic-Tac-Toe grid in green.

     • Highlights selected positions for Player 1 (Blue - "X") and Player 2 (Red - "O").

     • Flashes the winning pattern when a player wins.

   • OLED Display (SSD1306 128×64)

     • Shows messages like "Winner: Player X".

   • Buzzer

     • Sounds when a player wins to celebrate.

   • Small breadboard

     • Used to assemble the electronic components.

Integration & System Flow

1. Player Moves Cursor → Joystick sends an analog signal (X/Y values) to Arduino.

2. Arduino Processes Movement → Converts joystick input into valid moves (left/right/up/down).

3. Cursor Updates on Neopixel Matrix → Highlights the selected position in yellow.

4. Player Presses Button to Select Move → Arduino checks if the position is empty.

5. Game Board Updates → Neopixel changes color to Blue (X) or Red (O).

6. Win Check → If three marks align, Neopixel blinks the winning line, and the OLED displays the winner.

7. Buzzer Plays Celebration Sound.

List of Software/Tools Used

• Arduino IDE → Writing & uploading the game code.

• Adafruit Neopixel Library → Controlling the LED matrix.

• Adafruit GFX & SSD1306 Library → Managing OLED display output.

• TinkerCAD → Designing and simulating the circuit before implementation. I used alternatives for simulating: 

1. Joystick modules (Motor encoder) 

2. OLED ( LCD I2C)

Ludus is powered by a 7.4V DC power supply (battery).

• A DC power step-down module (Buck Converter) is used to regulate the voltage.

• Using the potentiometer on the step-down module, the output was adjusted to 5V.

• An Avometer (Multimeter) was used to precisely measure and confirm the 5V output.

 Why 5V?

• Arduino Uno & OLED Display operate at 5V.

• NeoPixel LED Matrix also requires 5V stable power for proper functionality.

• Joysticks work efficiently within the 5V range, avoiding damage from higher voltages.

• The whole circuit consumption is 0.2A (measured using the Avometer)

Tools & Components Used for Power Adjustment:

1. On/Off switch 

2. 7.4V DC Power Adapter 

3. DC-DC Step-Down Module (Buck Converter) 

4. Avometer (Multimeter) 

5. Potentiometer (on Step-Down Module) 

Power Flow & Integration:

When the On/Off switch is pressed

1. 7.4V DC Input → Enters the DC Step-Down Converter.

2. Voltage Adjusted to 5V → Confirmed using the Avometer.

3. 5V Output Distribution:

   • Powers the Arduino Uno.

   • Provides 5V to the OLED Display.

   • Supplies stable 5V to the NeoPixel LED Matrix and Joystick Modules.

• As a perfectionist it took me some time to start sketching my design. But my friend, Menna Bissar helped me breaking this thinking trap and starting my design right away.

• I also asked for feedback about the hinge I planned to build as an easy access in the back of my arcade design, but I asked both Mohanad Mohsen and Yasen Elfeky for their feedback and they guided me with different ideas like leaving a space for the user's finger whenever they want to adjust any of the electronic components.

• A huge thank you to Abdelrahman Oraby and Mahmoud Walid for their constant support. I asked Abdelrahman to help me figure out the idea of the DC-DC Stepdown module and he guided me through what to with it, Yasen helped me with its connection. Abdelrahman helped with the Neopixel pins as my design required to have the pins in a specific angle.

While developing Ludus, I faced several challenges, especially in code writing and integration. 

• The first challenge was that I need to have an easy-access to the circuit and electronic components, my friend "Menna Bissar" suggested building a hinge in my prototype. I approached Mohanad and he helped me forming this hinge with the mentioned dimensions in the design section.

• My second challenge was the fact that I need a stable wire-free source of power and I used a battery and a DC-DC stepdown module.

• Thirdly, While developing Ludus, I faced a major issue which was that the cursor on the NeoPixel was moving diagonally only.

I asked Ahmed Sami what could be the problem, he told me to check the Joystick movement directions code. Although I tried multiple times of changing the XY values, it didn't work out. While discussing this issue with my friend Menna Bissar she suggested that the problem could be within the NeoPixel code. After some research, I found that the problem was the incorrect definition of the NeoPixel grid for the Tic-Tac-Toe game. The game logic relied on a 3x3 grid, but I had to display it on an 8x8 NeoPixel matrix. Initially, I miscalculated the mapping between the game grid and the NeoPixel indices, which led to incorrectly lit LEDs, misplaced cursor movements, and a distorted game board.