Mechanical Overview
When designing our sub control stations, we decided that we wanted to create a physical user interface for the operator to interact with when playing the game. The user inputs consisted of a toggle three-position switch for selecting the active station, a rotary three-position switch for choosing the action, and fire switch used for additional actions like firing or changing rotation direction. For indicators, we included an RGB LED to indicate which station was active, another RGB LED for indicating whether the station was alive or not, and a 7-segment display that conveyed station and event information to the user. In addition to the user interface, our control station included a servo to initiate the "push to talk" button on our keyboard to allow us to broadcast over mumble, a miniature speaker and condensor microphone for transmitting tones, and an electret microphone and desktop speaker for receiving tones.
User Interface: Conn
When the station is configured in Conn mode, the RGB mode LED turns blue, and the 7-segment display lights up to display a "C". When the station detects that the sub has been hit by a detonation, the 7-segment display flashes with an "H", and the life LED begins flashing red. The central three-position switch allow the user to switch between the three available actions (turn, idle, and move), and the fire switch allows the user to select the direction of rotation. A video of the 7-segment display's response to a hit event can be seen in the GIF on the right.
User Interface: Sonar
When the station is configured in Sonar mode, the RGB mode LED turns green, and the 7-segment display lights up to display a "S". When the user initiaties a ping event, the 7-segment display creates a moving circular patter reminiscent of a sonar display. If an echo is detected, the display flashes with an "E". The central three-position switch allow the user to switch between the three available actions (omni ping, idle, and directed ping). A video of the 7-segment display's response to a ping being initiated can be seen in the GIF on the right.
User Interface: Torpedo
When the station is configured in Torpedo mode, the RGB mode LED turns red, and the 7-segment display lights up to display a "t". When the user initiaties a fire event, the decimal of the 7-segment display begins blinking slowly. On the next turn, the blinking speed increases, and on the following turn (when the torpedo detonates) the displays an "O". The toggle switch at the right of the box is used to initiate a torpedo launch. A video of the 7-segment display's response to a hit event can be seen in the GIF on the right.