Sensory Board for Adams Adventure Playground

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Sensory Board for Adams Adventure Playground
Team 22 Project 41 TA Sarah Brittain Faculty
Advisor Dr. John Enderle Client Brian Schwarz

• Danielle Napoli
• Alyssa Smith
• Christine Wakefield

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Outline

• Background
• Environmental Safety Considerations
• Board Design
• Music Panel
• Create-a-Picture
• Memory Game
• Communications Panel
• Hand Crank Game
• Sensory Panel
• Budget
• Questions

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Background Adams Adventure

• Adams Adventure is a non-profit organization
  dedicated to building a playground where children
  of all abilities can have fun
• It is aimed at children with autism spectrum
  disorders, cognitive impairments, visual
  impairments, hearing impairments, and more

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Background The Project

• Sensory board for a playground being built in
  Tolland, CT
• Interactive wall that will include several games
  and activities for children of all backgrounds
• The focus is to create a safe and friendly
  environment in which children with disabilities
  can enjoy what most children already have

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Environment and Safety

• ENVIRONMENT
• Playground equipment is outdoors 24/7
• All electronics must be housed securely within
  the panels so they do not get wet or damaged by
  the environment or animals
• SAFETY
• It must follow the guidelines set by the
• CPSC and ADA
• Must be safe for children
• Rounded corners, no protrusions, etc.

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Board Material

• ¾ Densetec high density polyethylene (HDPE)
• UV stabIlized for outdoor weatherability
• Will not splinter or crack
• Stain graffiti resistant
• Moisture resistant

Napoli, Smith, Wakefield
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Board Design

• The final design will be a 12 ft long, 4.5 ft
  tall and 5 in thick board positioned at angles.
• The panels on the ends of the board will be
  slightly shorter so that children in wheelchairs
  will be able to roll underneath them and have an
  opportunity to enjoy all of the activities.

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Board Design

• All instructions in Braille and raised letters
• Secured with blind rivets

Napoli, Smith, Wakefield
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Memory Game

• The memory game is aimed toward children who may
  suffer from an autism spectrum disorder.
• Children with these disorders typically have an
  underdeveloped hippocampus in the limbic system
  which deals mostly with memory.

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Memory Game

• Customized buttons
• Required weatherproofing of buttons
• Switched out LEDs
• Uses an Arduino Mega 2560

Napoli, Smith, Wakefield
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Communication Panel

• This panel is dedicated to children who are blind
  or anyone who wants something new to learn.
• Braille alphabet and riddles
• The riddles are in both standard alphabet and
  Braille, however only the answers are in Braille.

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Music Panel

• Chimes are contained entirely within the panel
  and do not require a mallet to produce a sound

Napoli, Smith, Wakefield
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Music Panel

• 10 note scale from C to E
• Song options for children who are deaf to still
  participate
• Waterproof anti-vandal buttons
• Uses an Arduino Mega 2560

Napoli, Smith, Wakefield
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Create-A-Picture

• This panel allows children to show their creative
  side
• 9x9 grid of square buttons that can illuminate
  red, green, or blue
• Three buttons are available for children to
  select a color
• Subsequent pressing of a button will cause the
  button to illuminate the selected color

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Create-a-Picture
Napoli, Smith, Wakefield
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Create-a-Picture

• Individually sealed buttons and cutouts
• Uses 8 Arduino Mega 2560 Microcontrollers

Napoli, Smith, Wakefield
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Sonar Panel

• When a child moves in from of the sensor it
  detects him or her, and a circle of LEDs will
  then light up
• There are four sensors spread out on the panel,
  with LEDs around each one

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Sonar Panel

• Maxbotix outdoor ultrasonic sensors and Assmann
  Waterproof LEDs were used to ensure it was
  weather-proof

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Sonar Panel
Napoli, Smith, Wakefield
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Wheel Panel

• Switched from hand crank to wheel due to size
  requirements for the hand crank
• It allows even handicapped children to use their
  arms motor skills
• Produces sound when the moving item reaches the
  top so those who are blind can still participate

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Wheel Panel

• Customized wheel attachment
• Lexicon plexiglass so that the cutout wont
  yellow over time

Napoli, Smith, Wakefield
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Budget

• 2000 from UCONN School of Engineering
• 1000 from UCONN Biomedical Engineering
  Department
• Additional 1000 from UCONN Biomedical
  Engineering Department

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Budget

• Sonar Panel - 559.94
• Sonar Sensors 392.41
• Waterproof LEDs 167.53
• Wheel panel - 117.80
• Wheel 19.99
• PVC 6.80
• Lexan 51.02
• Rocket 39.99
• Memory Panel - 44.81
• Buttons 28.19
• LEDs 16.62

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Budget

• Miscellaneous 2,156.85
• Braille Signs Donated
• Posts Donated
• HDPE 903.81
• Testing supplies 6.00
• Blind rivets 10.85
• Perf Boards 47.47
• Resistors 62.56
• Power adapters 77.81
• Wire 115.56
• Electrical boxes 231.52
• Screws 35.60
• Arduino Boards (12) 415.67
• Machine Shop - 250

• Total Spent 3,728.92
• Total Remaining 271.08

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Acknowledgements

• Brian Schwarz
• Dr. John D. Enderle
• Sarah Brittain
• Megan Baker
• Dave Kaputa
• Sung-Yeul Park
• Paul Dufilie
• John Chandy
• Kevin McLaughlin
• Sonya Renfro
• Jennifer Desrosiers
• Sharon McDermott
• Peter Glaude
• Serge Doyon
• Matthew Gajdosik
• Deb Willet
• Roger Neznayko

Napoli, Smith, Wakefield
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Questions