This project was very challenging for me so I decided to take a different approach to the problem. As an engineer, I find it very difficult to think about physical structures. Keeping this in mind, I designed my structure for making form first before deciding how I would use it and then I further modified it to exactly what I needed.
Problem
A concept difficult difficult for kids, and adults, is understanding how close they are to their goal. Visualization is often a good technique to better understand where they stand. I decided to use visualization paired with sound effects to aid the user in their understanding of their goals.
Solution
To accomplish this, I used an Arduino Uno, a push button, a servo motor, some marbles and a glass bottle. The idea is that whenever the user gets closer and closer to their goal they can press the button and the marble will be added to the bottle. This gives the user the satisfaction from pushing the button and a hearing the clink of the marble in the bottle. Additionally, the user can always glance at the bottle to see their progress.
Possible Improvements
- If this could be linked to you bank account you could have it automatically add more marbles as you earn more money
- It could be time based – a countdown to your vacation
