Analysis

On Saturday’s visit to the children’s museum where we exhibited our first functional demo, our installation experienced one severe technical failure which crashed the functionality of our project. The issue we experienced was that the solenoid valve that we had on hand got shorted by the water we filled up in the tank. This was a result of the valve mount, made from acrylic and wood, coming apart and as a result, the valve dropped briefly into the water. We knew beforehand that the valve was safe from slight splashes but probably could not withstand being submerged in water, even for a moment. The valve mount came apart as the result of the wood soaking up water during our testing phase, causing the glue holding the pieces together to fall apart.

As a result of this technical failure, which occurred during our setup, the children and adults could not freely interact with our project, restricting us from taking notes on areas for improvement.

On an important note, we did notice that the height of the table did play a role. For an adult, the larger folding tables are appropriate but for smaller children, they could not see the water tank let alone reach the drum sensors.

While our project itself did not propose insights into the interaction between children and exhibits, we did get the chance to keenly observe several other projects. The biggest takeaway from our observations was that color and direct interaction is incredibly important with regards to drawing the attention of kids. We were set up next to James’s project and although his main feature broke early into our time there, the kids were still drawn to the colorful structures they could build. They could sit and play with these figures together with their parents, which they seemed to enjoy. There were other projects, such as the ball drop machine, that allowed for a lot hands on interaction, which drew children and parents alike.

These insights allowed us to create new ideas for the final demonstration. We now understand that we need something similar to a success feature, such as in a game. Thus, we have decided to make the fountain interaction interact with figurines suspended from the top of the tank, allowing them to hit the drum sensor and use the water from the valve to hit a suspended figurine. This, together with a strip of led lights around the tank that would alternate colors when different valves are open, will be more appealing to children.

Revision Plan

The steps that we have decided to take to enhance the sustainability and attractiveness of our project are simple but need to be carried out with precision. The first step toward our final demonstration is to water proof our valves. In order to prevent it from looking gaudy, we have decided to insert a tube around the connections that will follow the wires out of the hole in the tank. That, together with a light film of tape around the connection should hold the connection sound while preventing significant water damage. Another step we are going to take is to increase the height of the valve mount and secure the mount. We have added an addition block of wood to either side of the mount and secured them with Epoxy as compared to hot glue from before. This will keep the valve further from the water at the base of the tank and prevent it from easily coming apart.

Our initial concept for the experience from our project was one that focused more on the drums and the fountain was meant to be an exhibit. To incorporate the game idea that we decided on, we need to suspend figurines at the right distance and height from the valve, so that when the drum sensor is hit harder, the water hits the figurines at a faster rate. The lights on the outside that we have decided to implement is to improve the aesthetic of the project. To include these two features, we need to cut out an acrylic sheet that is the exact width of the tank so that it can comfortably sit on the tank without having to be attached. On this sheet, we will have 2-4 holes. We will attach the figurines using a string to screws and insert them through the holes so that it remains intact but with the flexibility to swing about.

For the case of the LED strip, we have decided to purchase it. It has the ability to alternate colors and is attached in one single piece, relieving us of the need to add in excessive wiring. With these added capabilities and the fixes to our original valves, we feel that our project will take on a new shape, one that will attract children and parents.

Link:

https://docs.google.com/a/andrew.cmu.edu/spreadsheets/d/1GXjzTo5VynOrbnsPcebbc5EmAlccaQk3yC9yegQvOh8/edit?usp=sharing