Magnetic Board Testing 2

Prototype

After we ran into all of the problems when first trying to make a prototype of the magnetic board design (more info can be seen on the "Magnetic Board Testing 1" sub-page), we simply tried to create a system that would work even if there were still major things we needed to change. The plastic cups did not work up but instead, in the lab, we found festive paper cups that we knew we could easily cut the bottoms out of. We used hot glue in order for the dry time to be minimal and glued our leftover ceramic magnets to the cup. Each cup got two magnets glued directly to it and they were testing to make sure the could support the weight of a ping-pong ball (our vehicle of choice for that day). When one worked we created five more.

Then to add we attached neodymium magnets to the rain gutter with hot glue as well. Once we tested it we found out the 3 magnets would hold up the gutter then we did it to one other gutter.

This is our first working prototype of magnetic board concept. These two pictures show two different runs that we created while doing testing of the system.

Testing

The following table was used in testing of the pegboard and was updated with information from the magnetic board testing. We were able to make ten different runs as we were testing the system but we were not limited to just those ten we easily could have come up with more. In creating smooth connections we were able to create many different connections that were pretty smooth and very solid. If one cup had a much different angle than the preceding one it could cause problems and the ball could even get stuck but we found that it would be a great problem-solving challenge for the kids.

Comparing the magnetic board to the pegboard we have a much larger success. The magnetic board is a pass and will continue on to more testing and improvements.

More Testing

Our next biggest concern was if children would like this system and if they could interact well with it. When coming up with the magnetic board design we were concerned that the design might not fit the age range of our client. In order to test this we needed to show children the prototype but at this time in the project, we ran into Thanksgiving break when we would not be able to meet with our clients.

Alyssa was able to take this into a different preschool over the break and test it with similar age ranges.

Alyssa's Testing

Over Thanksgiving break, I went into my mother's preschool in Colorado -- Shepherd of the Hills Church and School. There I replicated a similar prototype to the one we had created the week prior. I used black plastic cups and cut out the bottoms similar to how we did with the paper cups. At the preschool, they had many magnets that I was able to use and hot glue to the cups. Then, in the All-Stars classroom, Mrs. Kristin had a freestanding whiteboard that I was able to use in order to test with. I made seven track pieces and two of them were half pipes.

First, I went to the toddler classroom to test the system with the same age group as our clients.

Observations

The children had a great time playing with the prototype. It required a good amount of instruction to get them started but once they started to understand how to use it they were able to interact without a lot of assistance. One observation that I made while interacting with them was when they would go to drop the ball down the ramp they would rest their hand on the edge of the cup and many times drag it down with their hand causing them to lose the connections that they needed in order for their run to work. Sometimes it would even result in the cup to angle so far down that the ball would then come back out the same side that they were trying to drop it in. This was partly due to the height of the whiteboard which was about three feet. This height was definitely the highest point these kids could use any higher and they would have a hard time reaching the cup to drop the ball down. The kids loved to smack all of the cups off the board once they realized that they could be removed, it became a fun game for them. Another thing I noticed was the children could not ever combine more than a few cups into a run, but either way, they had a blast and learned a lot from the system.

Three to Four Year-olds

After watching the 2 year-olds interacting with the prototype I took the system to a bit older age range in order to see how they might interact differently.

Observations: This age range interacted slightly different with the system. They were able to connect all seven track pieces in a row to make a much longer run. The 3 to 4 year-olds liked to make all the cups connect together in a straight vertical line and watch the ball drop extremely fast through it. With guidance from a teacher, it is clear that this age range could learn about how a steeper angle will cause the ball to go down much faster than a shallow angle and this could be a good tool for them to use. The height was still a good height for them, they had fewer issues with pulling down the cup before they dropped the ball but it still happened sometimes. These children also loved playing on the system, but because most of the class (about six kids) got to play at once and the length of the whiteboard not being very long a lot of sharing issues came about. That helped make it clear that we need to make sure we have plenty of vehicles and track pieces so all the children are able to play and that play should possibly be limited to a few kids at a time.

5 Year-olds

Finally, after watching the 3 to 4 year-olds, I took the system to the classroom with 5 year-olds to see how they would interact with the system.

Observations: This age group interacted the best with the system, they were easily able to comprehend how the pieces need to be placed in order for the ball to pass through them. This age range would benefit most greatly from them being given a task to complete with the ramps such as getting the red colored ball into the red colored tray at the bottom. The height of the system was fine for this group but raising the height a little would not hurt, they would still be able to interact with it easily and it would give them more room to work with. These children loved playing with the system and wanted it to be there again the next day so they would have more time with it.

Next Steps

Now that we have proven that the system will work well for the children we are making it for we need to continue making improvements so that the system is safe and durable, along with design a way to stand up our sheet metal as the client would like a free-standing frame so it can be moved if desired. We needed to test ways to safely attach the magnets, what the best design for a sturdy frame would be, and what the best material would be to use for the track pieces. All of this testing occurred in conjunction with us creating our detailed design, as we tested and found better parts to use we updated our detail design but most of the time to two happened at the same time. In order to see more detail on how we tested these things and picked the best option for our system please view the "Final Testing" sub-page under this tab. To see our detailed design that we finalized along with this testing please view the "Detailed Design" tab.