Category: SMALLab

This trimester in Q2L SMALLab, we work with students on angles. The goal is to create SMALLab scenarios that reinforce the concept of supplementary angles and opposite interior angles created by two crossed straight lines. We also decided to create a story based on the Carnival theme they have for this trimester with the characters from Systemia.

“Rumor has it, Kalc is building a giant safe in her lab. She is one of the suspects in Professor PI’s kidnap incident. We haven’t seen her for the past three days, and worried that she is up to no good. Codebreakers, we would like you to sneak into her lab while she is gone and investigate the giant safe. But before that, you have to prove your codebreaking skill. We will be waiting at the carnival booth 13…”

booth 13 is hosted by Arithmus and Wordix, they are Professor PI’s trustworthy assistants. In booth 13 players work together to measure angles generated by the game with an augmented protractor and recreated them accordingly. Every round consists of two major steps, the first step is measuring the given angle, and the second one is angle calculation, both steps require recreating the correct angle with angle generator to proceed. However, game master (teacher) holds the power to alter the questions for both steps, which means he/she can bypass the game logic and proceed the game if students creatively solve the problems. The goal here is to emphasis the understanding of the sum of supplementary angles is 180 degrees, the sum of complimentary angles is 90 degrees, and opposite exterior angles are congruent, and hopefully in the end of the SMALLab session, students would be able to measure one angle and calculate the rest.

After booth 13, students are packed with angle skills, it is about time sneak into Kalc’s lab. Kalc’s giant safe is secured with an eight-angle combination lock. Every angle will be announced by the safe in a futuristic female voice. This scenario doesn’t really have any controller inputs for interactivity, all the controls are on game master’s mighty clicker. All four angles are numbered when a new combination comes up. Game master will ask question related to the coved concepts, and player(s) have to step on the right angle to respond. Then game master will proceed to the next combination or ask more questions based on the answers. After the 8th combinations, students have successfully broke the lock, and the safe will open up and show the content. What is really in there? it is for students to find out…

We’ve discovered a new way of implementing Smallab into classroom. It is to shift part of game logics into teacher’s hands or even students’ hands. That way, the gameplay becomes more creative and dynamic, and teachers also have more control over the scenarios. It harden the bond between teachers and the scenarios.

Liferaft is a jungle river adventure game made in SMALLab. Players use glowing controllers to paddle, pump, and signal inside of a broken liferaft. The goal is to get to the river shore without sinking the raft. To succeed this game, players have to avoid obstacles, gather power-ups, pump water out, and manage the weight of their raft.

This collaborative game also has a stand alone level editing tool that allows players to design their own levels on the fly. The tool provides a smooth transition from paper (analogue) prototype into digital game level design. Players plan their level on a set of of three narrow boards resembles the beginning, the middle, and the end of a game level in Liferaft. Then they put color-coded stickers on the board based on their plans. Each color sticker represents a kind of game events. During the planning, players will explain their levels to teachers and game designers including predictions of play experience that their level is going to invoke.

After putting down the stickers, they insert their boards underneath the Computer Vision Box, a support equipment I designed and built to read those color stickers on the three boards. They will then be translated onto the computer screen. The color stickers will be replaced with real game components. Players can either test their level on the screen or send the level into SMALLab and play the real deal there. We usually have groups of players play each others game and give feedback and they will then go through an iterative process to make their game more fun and be close to the play experience they predicted.

SMALLab New York was invited by David Birthfield, the creator of SMALLab, to participate a weekend exhibition at Arizona Museum of Science. We were challenged to create a game scenario using a Roomba robot. Thanks to David, most of the framework and pipeline was already set up for bringing in the famous robot, all we have to do on the technology part is just tweaking the code to perfection.

Initially, we were looking into player-controlled map navigation because of the nature of Roomba, it goes places. Claudio did a few iterations on this idea and had Roomba walking on maps and some amazing over-size photography. Our second idea was to remove the player control from the Roomba and have it roam free in the space through simple algorithm. This was where the fun started to pour out. We decided to assign Roomba a goal to achieve in the SMALLab space and players become Roomba’s guardians against enemies in the way.

The game scenario is called SWARM. It is a 2 player + 1 robot game. Players has to guide the Roomba mother ship through a swarm of alien wasps. Player 1 has the ability to attract Roomba while player 2 repels dangerous wasps with its high-frequency pulse wave. Little do we know, younger kids went crazy with the wasps on the floor projection. Regardless if they are playing or not, all of them are helping the Roomba by stomping those wasps with their feet. We had a great time visiting Arizona museum of Science and working with the SMALLab crew there. At one point, there were about 18 busful of kids storm through our exhibition with their parents, and about 1500 peoples in total over the course of two days according to the museum.