In order to run Ready? Set… Go! properly, you need a mobile phone with 176×204 full screen resolution and with the following technologies: Java, GPS and Bluetooth.
The application is designed for a 176×204 screen because at the beginning we started prototyping it on a Motorola Slvr L7, which has this resolution. After some time we had some problems with this mobile phone because of the memory heap size, which is quite limited (800 kb) while we were working with lots of images. We ended to use Nokia 6630 for the final prototype, because the screen resolution is almost the same (176×208) while the memory functions are much better.
We programmed the application in Mobile Processing, an open source programming environment for people who want to design and prototype software for mobile phones. It is based on and shares the same design goals as the open source Processing project. Sketches programmed using Mobile Processing run on Java Powered mobile devices.
Java is a programming language originally developed by Sun Microsystems and released in 1995 as a core component of Sun Microsystems’ Java platform. The language derives much of its syntax from C and C++ but has a simpler object model and fewer low-level facilities. Java applications are typically compiled to bytecode that can run on any Java virtual machine (JVM) regardless of computer architecture.
To start the games, it’s necessary to know precisely where the user is; for this we use GPS.
GPS (Global Positioning System) is a satellite-based navigation system made up of a network of 24 satellites placed into orbit by the U.S. Department of Defense. GPS was originally intended for military applications, but in the 1980s, the government made the system available for civilian use. GPS works in any weather conditions, anywhere in the world, 24 hours a day. GPS satellites circle the earth twice a day in a very precise orbit and transmit signal information to earth. GPS receivers take this information and use triangulation to calculate the user’s exact location. Once the user’s position has been determined, the GPS unit can calculate other information, such as speed, bearing, track, trip distance, distance to destination, sunrise and sunset time and more.
One of the aspect of Ready? Set… Go! is the interaction with other children who are using the same application, and it’s done via Bluetooth.
Bluetooth wireless technology is a short-range communications technology intended to replace the cables connecting portable and/or fixed devices while maintaining high levels of security. The key features of Bluetooth technology are robustness, low power, and low cost. The Bluetooth specification defines a uniform structure for a wide range of devices to connect and communicate with each other. Any Bluetooth enabled device can connect to other Bluetooth enabled devices in proximity and handle both data and voice transmissions.
For the final prototype we didn’t really use GPS and Bluetooth, mainly because of lack of time to develop those parts in Mobile Processing code.
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Ready? Set… Go! | Concept | Design | Step-through | Scenarios | Video prototype
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