Introduction:
As we have come to the conclusion of this semester, as a
group we have designed a mechanical space saving storage system that
incorporates a natural user interface. At the start of the semester we had a
bit trouble starting our project as we lacked knowledge and direction.
Initially we spent our first couple of weeks on research so we were able to
grasp a greater understanding on our project. We made the most progress during
the final weeks of our project as we finally had the ball rolling and we had a
lot of help with Steve and we are very grateful! Ultimately we developed a
working prototype and a Crysis model that incorporates hand gestures and facial
recognition. All in all I am very proud of my group and what we have achieved and
learnt in the past semester.
Our Group Goal:
As a group, our goal was to design a prototype of a space
saving mechanical system that incorporates a natural user interface. We wanted
to implement our project into Crysis with the Kinect and create a physical
prototype of our model.
My Individual
Milestones:
Research
My first individual milestone was to acquire as
much knowledge as possible to be able to begin our project. As we are
Architecture Computing students we don’t have the knowledge needed in the field
of mechanical and electrical engineering. I also needed to fill in my knowledge
about C# and C++ code as I was only familiar with html coding.
Facial Recognition Code
For our project I needed to conclude whether
facial recognition was necessary or if facial detection would be enough. Initially
I conducted some research into the different types of facial recognition and
which method would be best suited for my purposes. I followed a few tutorials
to create a working facial recognition code for our project only to realise it
was in C# and I needed it to be in C++ for it to work with Crysis. Fortunately
Steve helped me set up a TCP Server so I was able to have an output from my
facial recognition code to Crysis. This way I did not need to convert my C#
code to C++.
Gesture Control Code
Steve provided me with the basic code for
gesture control for Crysis and I was able to add to it. By adding to the code I
was able to create a working gesture control code ready for Crysis
incorporating hand wave right, hand wave left, hand wave up and hand wave down.
Building the Physical Prototype
With the physical model we encountered quite a
few problems as we still did not know if the mechanics of the prototype we
designed would technically work. If we were to do this project again, I would
work backwards and seek more professional advice. We had our final physical prototype
laser cut so it would slide smoothly and look more aesthetically pleasing. Even
though the physical prototype was laser cut the boxes did not slide smoothly as
we did not consider some technical issues.
Tasks Completed Over
the Semester:
Researched the different types of facial
recognition and facial detection
Developed facial recognition code with the
help of Steve
Linked my facial recognition code using a
TCP Server to Crysis
Problems encountered with my TCP Server
Developed gesture control code with the
help of Steve
Helped design the mechanical storage system
Helped create the illustrator file to send
to the laser cutter\
Helped build the physical prototype
Helped the team leader with organising our
team and allocating tasks
Created a Facebook page for easier
communication
Critique of weekly group presentations
- Planning: http://januarch1392.blogspot.com.au/2013/05/week-6-planning.html
- Communication: http://januarch1392.blogspot.com.au/2013/04/week-7-communication.html
- Intellectual Property: http://januarch1392.blogspot.com.au/2013/06/1.html
- Conflict: http://januarch1392.blogspot.com.au/2013/06/week-10-conflict.html
- Remuneration: http://januarch1392.blogspot.com.au/2013/06/week-11-renumeration.html
If you could do this project again, what would you do differently?
Research
o
During the initial stages of the project I would
have liked to have allocated our time with research more efficiently. This way
we hopefully would be able to design a space saving mechanical storage system.
Most importantly we should have seeked professional advice so we would have the
best possible solution.
Coding
o
I initially viewed tutorials and created my
facial recognition code in C#. Unfortunately C# isn’t compatible with Crysis
therefore I tried to convert my C# code to C++. I spent many weeks trying to
convert my C# code to C++ and was unsuccessful; therefore I started with a new
set of tutorials where my facial recognition code would be in C++. Next time I
would know to just use a TCP Server and send an output from my laptop to
Crysis. Fortunately during this project with Steve’s help I was able to use the
TCP Server with my C# code.
Prototype
o
Next time we need to seek professional advice as
our prototype did not work as well as it could have. There were a few points we
should have considered before constructing our prototype.
§
Testing the capability of the motors
§
Acquiring professional mechanical and electrical
engineering knowledge and expertise
§
The scale of the physical prototype
§
Materials being used in the physical prototype
eg. Can they be joined easily
Conclusion:
Over the last semester I have gained knowledge in many different
fields. Initially I didn’t understand how we would be able to complete our
project within our time frame as we lacked a lot of knowledge. I am proud of my
group and how much we have accomplished in our time frame. As this project was
just a prototype there were many things I would have hoped to continue on with and
fix if our time frame was to be extended. Overall I feel we have succeeded in
creating a space saving mechanical storage system for our target market.