Description:
My twin and I merged our love for playing videogames with our passion for engineering. This project combined entertainment with custom software and hardware integrated into the visuals and functionality of the stream. Using a custom analog USB hub splitter we're able to split the control over one account and effectively switch user control at a defined time interval. This was incorporated with a suite of sensors, valves, motors, and relays to allow for viewer physical control over our environment.
Contribution:
Developed computer vision to monitor on-screen events using OpenCV and human facial expressions using HaarCascades/DLIB. When these events would occur, the signal would automatically trigger a relay, valve, or visual effect. This data is sent using a socket server between computers and is ultimately used to control an Arduino and relay. Examples of code were implementing smile detection, a failure in a videogame, or input from a viewer.
Calculated the torque necessary for lifting items with a DC motor controlled by a relay. Designed and 3D printed gears to increase the torque output of the DC motor to allow for a cheaper and smaller motor to be purchased.
Chair mounted system which includes a peristatic pump, relay board, DC motor, Valve with actuator, and Raspberry PI to communicate via a socket server.
Computervision Code
Blue relay board left connected to shock pads, red usb switcher hub, green arduino right
If there is any confusion on the setup of this system, this video demonstrates the idea. The computer screens in front of both chairs are mirrored and every thirty seconds the control over the character in play switches between my twin and I, this is done through the USB hub located in between us and is done automatically without user input.