Overview
During the process of creating this game, my intention was not only to inspire children by showing them what is possible through computer coding, but also, to reveal the potential software has to interface with the non-cybernetic world. At the same time, I really wanted to achieve this goal through incorporating something that children already innately understand: a toy. The outcome was to use a toy Nerf gun, an object that is both fully understandable and incredibly fun for children (and many supposed adults as well).
Gameplay
Gameplay mechanics revolve around the physicality of the Nerf gun itself. Players will need to be aware of how much ammo they have left, and weary of reloading their gun quickly and correctly. Robots will come out in groups of four to six, during which, the player must destroy the robots in order to avoid damage. Thereafter, the player will have a finite time to recollect and reload darts into their gun before the next wave of robots starts. The experience places a much higher emphasis on reloading over shooting and contrasts from typical shoot-at-the screen light gun games where reloading a gun is as simple as pointing off the screen. This forces players to be more intentional when they fire the gun because a single misaimed shot could be fatal. It also makes reloading the gun (and finding the darts) quickly an important skill.
Instructions: The game uses a computer vision library called Blob Detection to locate darts shot at a screen. Currently, the software relies on using black Nerf darts on a white screen, but my hope is that the system can be ported to an infrared system. The game starts in "Setup Mode" which helps the player adjust the camera threshold to better locate darts on the screen in different light. To play this game properly, you need a firewire video camera, a projector, and of course a Nerf gun with six darts. For the online demo, click the mouse to simulate firing a dart on the screen.
How to Play
In order to play the game, you need:- Firewire Video Camera
- Projector
- Nerf Maverick Gun
- 6 darts
Try Demo Online »
The program requires too much memory to run online. (Probably has to do with the way Processing loads animated sprites)
Windows: Download»
Linux: Download »
The computer vision library OpenCV is used within processing to detect darts fired at the screen. Installation of the library onto your local machine is required for the blob detection mechanics to function properly. Visit the OpenCV website to install the library.
Hello
Robot Behavior (online)»
Blob Detect CV (zipped application)»