SM3121 Toys and Gadgets Mark Green School of Creative Media

Toys and Gadgets?  Fun  Useful  Easy to learn and use  Portable  Use computers, but computer isn’t visible, just another part of the device  Make the computer disappear, an information appliance

Examples  Mobile phones  PDA  Gameboy  Intelligent toys  Home automation  Cars  Home entertainment  MP3 players, digital cameras, ….

Toys and Gadgets  Very broad topic Many devices Many devices Many technologies Many technologies Many applications Many applications  Survey the field, get an idea of what’s going on  Examine a few technologies / devices in detail, use them for assignments

Topics  Technology Hardware Hardware Communications Communications Software Software  Design for Small Devices  Tools and Techniques  Applications Digital toys Digital toys Mobile phones Mobile phones PDA PDA

Technologies  Mobile phones and PDA Web / Internet based applications Web / Internet based applications Mobile applications and games Mobile applications and games  Robots and Lego Mindstorms Entertainment robots Entertainment robots Prototyping intelligent toys Prototyping intelligent toys  Gameboy Games on small devices and consoles Games on small devices and consoles

Assessment  Mixed background, so a range of activities design oriented through implementation  Final Grade: Assignment one10% Assignment one10% Assignment two10% Assignment two10% Project65% Project65% Class participation15% Class participation15%

Project  Design and / or build a really cool toy or gadget  Work individually or in small groups (3 max)  Can be: Game Game Internet application Internet application Toy Toy Useful or entertaining device Useful or entertaining device Work of art Work of art  Must have a computer hidden in it

These Things Are Different  They have a computer, but they aren’t a computer  No keyboard or mouse, limited display  Don’t wait a minute or two for it to start  Warm and friendly, not cold and distant Don’t hug your computer, but lots of kids hug intelligent toys Don’t hug your computer, but lots of kids hug intelligent toys  How do we do this?

These Things Are Different  Need to think differently about design and usage, learn to watch people, how they use their devices  On MTR/KCR watch how people use mobile phones, PDAs, mobile games  For the next week or two watch people, think about how you use these devices  Very different from computers

These Things Are Different  Design for short interactions, typically less than 5 minutes  Don’t need total concentration, doing other things, like walking  Can be interrupted at any time  Could be in a crowd, not your own personal space  Communications is important