Momentum Maze

Interactive Installation | 2023 | Tools: Arduino

This Arduino-Based Interactive Game Installation is a novel approach to promoting physical activity in traditionally sedentary environments such as offices and schools. The game begins as participants wear a sensor sleeve. The movements oftheir arm , detected by an accelerometer (MPU6050) on the sensor sleeve, drivea Rube Goldberg machine via servo motors. The player's continuous motion is essential to keep the ball moving through the machine, culminating in its arrival at an endpoint where a Break Beam sensor will detect it and indicate game completion. This triumph is then celebrated with a colorful sequence of Addressable LEDs. Additionally, players are rewarded for their effort (a pack of nut biscuit), making the experience not only fun but also gratifying. This installation blends technology with physical activity, offering an engaging and interactive way to encourage movement and break the sedentary lifestyle.

According to Jensen (2000), physical activity benefits learning. Movement increases heart rate and blood circulation, counteracts excessive sitting, and stimulates the release of beneficial chemicals. As we often see inthe library, many students sit for long periods of time to study, which is not conducive to learning efficiency or physical health。 Therefore, the primary purpose of making this installation is to encourage everyone to move.

Incorporating a Rube Goldberg machine into this installation with the intent of using the movement of the ball as a visualization of the movement of the participant in order to give the participant some feedback in stages to encourage them to continue playing, similar to how positive reinforcement works in behaviorist learning theory(Reimann, 2018).

Controlling servo motor with accelerometer | MPU6050 with servo—SriTu Hobby. (n.d.). Retrieved 11 December 2023, from https://srituhobby.com/controlling-servo-motor-with-accelerometer/?utm_content=cmp-true

IR Breakbeam Sensors. (n.d.). Adafruit Learning System. Retrieved 11 December 2023, from https://learn.adafruit.com/ir-breakbeam-sensors/arduino

Jensen, E. (2000). Moving with the Brain in Mind. Educational Leadership, 58(3), 34–37.

Reimann, A. (2018). Behaviorist Learning Theory. In The TESOL Encyclopedia of English Language Teaching (pp. 1–6). John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. https://doi.org/10.1002/9781118784235.eelt0155

TeachEngineering (Director). (2017,August 5). Design and Build a Rube Goldberg. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6aFVbjwA_y4