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2020 | research artefact
The prototype of InStepIn is built on top of the research paper StepByStep [1]. The concept focuses on social exercising and gifting experience. It includes a mysterious or anticipation element. The prototype exists out of two modules: a wearable and a base. The wearable is a custom-made pedometer (step counter) which is used during an “exergame” (exercise game) to “fuel” the base module. After a game has been completed (i.e. the base is completely refuelled), the wearable magnetically snaps to the base and can be relocated as one unit to another co-worker of choice.
The game loop (begin of a game until completed game) starts with a timer. This is to prevent instant game prompts making it less special (more common) to perform an exergame and it makes the game loop go too fast. The timer is represented by an array of lights that go from an “energetic” colourful state towards a “boring” colourless (white) state. This is where an exergame starts which is highlighted by blinking thrice (the parameters for timing, blinking, colours, etc can all be modified in the code). During a game, the base module “listens” to the wearable. Connecting the wearable to the base will result in a loading animation followed by a change from white to more colourful lights. The closer the user is to the step goal (set during initiation of an exergame), to more colourful the base module will become. Having more steps “loaded into” the wearable will make the loading animation take a bit longer, to represent more calculations. Once the step goal is reached, the colourful base module will display a rainbow animation, after which it will turn back to the timer state and start to degrade in colour again. Here the game loop is repeated.
The size of the base module is chosen to be present in your periphery while working at a desk, but not take up too much space. The box shape refers the stereotypical gift box design, where the wearable represents the “bow” or “knot” on top. The wearable has a small cavity allowing for a key cord in attach to. Large companies usually use such key cords already, making the wearable simply a small temporary add-on. The feedback lights only show on the base module upon connection with the wearable to stimulate “just a few more steps” and anticipation. Giving direct feedback on achieving the goal will likely result in users precisely tuning their steps to the goal, but with this approach, they may go over as they will only know they achieved the goal once they’re back at the base.
wearable
The connection to the base uses magnets and pogo pins for I2C communication and charging the
internal 250mAh LiPo battery of the wearable. The battery is charged by the MCP73831/2 LiPo charger
module. An ATtiny85 is used as processor unit for its small size. It runs a simple I2C master code
(with the base being the slave). The steps are counted using the 3D acceleration measured by an
MPU6050.
The magnets inside the wearable and the base module are oriented in a way to allow for only the correct orientation of the wearable into the base, to prevent shorts with the pogo connections as a result of reversed orientation. The “INT” pin (not shown) is used as interrupt for the ATtiny85. This gives the ATtiny the signal to send its recorded steps and reset back to 0 after. The steps are counted in the base module code.
Base module
The base module includes a Particle Photon processor which is programmed over WiFi via a web IDE
(particle.io). The charger is a shield for the photon, which are all connected with headers to make
them modular
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