Group 21

Week 5

As we step into Week 5 of our MI34 project, our team continues to forge ahead with determination and creativity. This week has been particularly exciting as we not only advanced in our ongoing tasks but also embarked on a collaborative venture with the AXCS project. Our commitment to creating user-centric designs remains strong. We continued our Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) coursework, which is proving to be an invaluable resource in understanding the nuances of user experience. The insights gained here directly influence our design decisions, ensuring that our interfaces are not just functional but also empathetic to user needs. In parallel, our work with Figma progressed further. We are now moving from basic layouts to more detailed and interactive design elements. The team's ability to quickly iterate designs in Figma is accelerating our pace, allowing us to experiment with various aesthetics and usability features. This phase is critical as we're not just designing an interface; we're crafting the very experience our users will have. A significant highlight of this week was our introduction to another cutting-edge project, AXCS, led by Joseph and Dean. The AXCS project is developing a revolutionary USB device that enables any computer, regardless of its specifications, to run motionInput builds. This technology opens up a world of possibilities, allowing users to play popular games like Minecraft or Rocket League using motion input. Our role in this collaboration is twofold. Firstly, we're focusing on dynamic loading, which will allow users to switch games without the need to close and restart the application. This feature is crucial for providing a seamless and efficient user experience. Secondly, we are developing a system for extracting and transcribing speech. When a user states a command, such as "I want to play Mario with my left elbow," our system will analyze this input. Using Natural Language Processing (NLP), it will extract key information (e.g., "Mario" as the game and "left elbow" as the controller) and compile it into a JSON file. This process is not just technologically advanced but also aligns perfectly with our goal of accessibility and ease of use. Week 5 has been a testament to the synergy between technology and user-centric design. As we blend innovative ideas with practical solutions, we're excited to see how our project will evolve in the coming weeks. Stay tuned for more updates as we continue to push the boundaries of interactive technology.

Week 6

Week 6 marks another milestone in the journey of our MI34 project. Our team continued to make strides in our educational and developmental goals, while also nurturing vital collaborations. Our team remains committed to deepening our understanding of Human-Computer Interaction (HCI). This week, we furthered our coursework, delving into more complex topics such as user behavior analysis and advanced interface design. These studies are not just academic; they are directly influencing our project's approach, ensuring that our final product is not only technologically advanced but also deeply attuned to user needs and behaviors. A significant focus this week was on developing the structure for a multitouch webpage. This task is challenging yet exciting, as it involves creating an interface that can respond to multiple points of contact simultaneously. Our aim is to craft a webpage that is not only interactive and engaging but also intuitive and easy to navigate. This development is crucial for ensuring our project's accessibility and user-friendliness, especially for users who rely on touch-based navigation. This week also included two important meetings. On November 8th, we met with Dean to discuss our HCI coursework and its application to our project. This meeting was an opportunity to align our academic learnings with our practical goals and to receive valuable feedback from an expert in the field. On November 10th, we met with Joseph to discuss the AXCS project. This collaboration is proving to be a vital aspect of our project, and our discussions with Joseph are essential for synchronizing our efforts and ensuring cohesive progress. Looking ahead, we are preparing to gather user feedback, specifically from younger users. To ensure this session is productive, we are drafting a set of questions to ask kids. These questions are designed to be straightforward and engaging, allowing us to gain honest and valuable insights from a demographic that is crucial to our project. The feedback from these sessions will play a significant role in guiding our design and development decisions in the upcoming weeks. As we conclude Week 6, our project continues to evolve, driven by a blend of academic learning, practical application, and collaborative synergy. Each step forward brings new challenges and opportunities, and we're excited to see where this path leads us. Stay tuned for more updates as we continue on this exciting journey of innovation and discovery.