Professional Practice Abstract

There are hundreds of successful companies that were started by Electrical or Computer engineers that have grown into the technological powerhouses of the world. From Microsoft in Washington to Samsung in South Korea, all of these companies started from nothing with a few people who knew very little about their future. With an in-depth look at all of these companies, they all share the same trait on why they grew into fortune 500 companies; developed a demand and created a supply. The need of the next technological advancement is right around the corner, and as far as  we know, have not yet been created. Looking at all the backstories of these major companies, we can dig deeper into how and why they became what they are today.

Standards for Automated Catan Game

  • Coin Size – The standard of the coin size is depicted on the size of a common casino chip
  • ABS Plastic – The standard plastic used for the 3D-printer that is also safe for people to use
  • 9V Battery – Standard voltage limit for game boards that is safe for the public
  • Resistors – Standard resistor size and standard resistor color values
  • Vin Arduino Standard – The amount of voltage that an Arduino can take is only, at max, 5v.
  • Probability – The standard on the size and probability on two 6 figured dice. 
  • Size of Pieces – Standard so that is not too small for younger players and not too big so that it is still portable
  • Buttons – Standard size, 3 pronged pins, and standard reaction time
  • PWM – From 0-255 on a Arduino controller
  • LEDs – From 0-255 on a Arduino controller

Deliverables

The Deliverables for our Automated Catan game is:

  • Dispenser – to distribute the chips autonomously so that no one can forget or over take certain pieces. To prevent cheating
  • Record Points – To keep score between players. First one to 10 points win. Points are tallied on settlements, roads, cities, and victory point chips
  • Read the different Chips submitted back into the board – Dispense one chip into the slot, and using a pixy camera to tell the game which stepper motor to open to drop the chip in its right place
  • Randomize Board placements – So that every game can be different and not a dominant spot on the board is known before the game starts
  • Automated Player (AI) – The minimum amount of people to play is 4, so if 3 people are playing, an AI will take over the fourth person so that a game can be played
  • Online Interaction – Having a hand be controlled via the internet from another player so that internet competitions can take place
  • Record different roads and objectives in the game – To help with the points that are recorded so that the game can be fully autonomous