Team Corgi
Lauren Barker, Allison Rugg,
Eric Walter-Grant
Our Client
• Our Client is Tewksbury Hospital Equestrian (T.H.E.) Farm,
which uses horse-back riding as occupational therapy. They
seek to make a Sensory Trail which will stimulate the riders’
five senses.
• Users of the trail include: the those suffering from visual
impairment, autism, learning disabilities, muscular dystrophy,
multiple sclerosis, cerebral palsy, etc.
• Statement of Need: Our clients need to improve their
balance, posture, mobility, coordination, cognitive ability,
and strength.
Project Restraints
Our project must be:
– Safe
– Weatherproof
– User-friendly
– Easily constructed in 1.5 months
– Large enough for use while on horseback
– Powered outdoors
– Cost-effective
– Energy-efficient
– Durable
– Aesthetically pleasing
– Natural look
– Not too flashy
Musical Pairs
•Flashes an LED, corresponding to a musical note.
•Rider then presses corresponding note by finding matching colored button
•“Reward” (ie. chasing lights or an appealing noise) signifies a right answer
•Plays a tune using a few notes played sequentially
•Memory game
Musical Pairs
Musical Pairs Diagram
GO
Off
Pros of Musical Pairs
• People generally like music
• Visually and mentally stimulating with colors
and different musical notes
• Child will enjoy hearing a familiar tune
Cons of Musical Pairs
• The game would not work if an LED went out.
• Could make the client frustrated because of
trouble memorizing
• Arguably too complex
Animal Sound Matching
• The rider will press a “go” button, and a random animal sound
will be played.
• The rider will then press the matching animal-shaped button.
• A correct choice will be rewarded with flashing lights and
sounds.
•The animal names will also be
written in Braille beneath their
respective buttons.
• This activity is similar to the popular
“See ‘N’ Say” toy.
Pros of Animal Sound Matching
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Simple
Compatible for blind and sighted people
Good for young children
Fun and easy to use
Sound is stimulating
Can be educational, teaching Braille/reading for younger
children
• Relevant to THE Farm; patients probably like animals
• Client liked this idea most
• Inexpensive
• We can use the laser cutter to make animal shapes
Cons of Animal Sound Matching
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We need to figure out how to randomize it
Unoriginal
Not very stimulating
Too simple for higher-developed patients
Whack-A-Mole
Whack-AShape
•Use popup critters or
shapes
•Use moles represented by
red, yellow, and green
LEDs
•Tap the illuminated LED
with mallet
•Touch sensor on each
mole so that it makes a
noise when hit
Pros of Whack-A-Mole
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Fun
Familiar game
Made of simple materials
Good for all ages
Physically stimulating
Pertinent to a farm because moles are animals
Cons of Whack-A-Mole
• If an LED went out, the game would not work
so well.
• Leaves/pine needles could build up in the
holes
• Would entail more power
• Much more complicated to construct (more
mechanics)
Musical Pairs Function
Multiple times
to play tune?
Press GO
Randomized
outputs
1 of 6 Musical
Notes plays
Patient presses
colored button that
matches
corresponding
LED color
Game shuts off
automatically after
1 min of no use
New musical
sequence will
play
LED that
matches with
note lights up
Client presses GO
after sequence
guess
The note that
matches with the
colored button
pressed plays
Animal Sound Matching Function
Press GO
Client presses
the animal
button that
matches
Animal sound
plays
If wrong animal
pressed, cute
voice says “try
again”
until
If correct,
animal sound
plays again
Power off
Correct animal
sound is
pressed
Yes
Has it
been
inactive 1
min?
No
No
Is the
game in
use?
Yes
Whack-A-Mole Function
Press GO
Mole pops
out
Has mole
been hit?
No Has it been 3
seconds?
No
Yes
Yes
Mole says
“ouch” and
goes back in
hole
Another mole
pops out while
the first ones
goes back in
Power off
Yes
Has game
been inactive
1 min?
No
Final Decision
• Revised Animal Sound Matching
• Looks like Whack-A-Mole diagram but has 5
different stationary (farm) animals
• Random animal noise plays
• Patient responds by hitting the corresponding
animal (button)
Final Decision
• If patient hits wrong animal, “try again” voice
• New animal sound every couple seconds
unless animal is pressed
• If correct animal is pressed, new sound
immediately
• If inactive for 12 seconds, game shuts off
Parts List
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Plastic panel - $0-55
2 Panel legs - $18
Randomizing chip
Components - $30
Voice recordings
Plastic animal shapes from laser cutter - $0
Mallet - $0-7
6 touch sensors - $10
Circuit board
Amplification