TOIO Pictionary

The Problem/Challenge

Pictionary is a word drawing game that people typically play in person. In other words, two or more people are located in the same physical space, and they interact with each other in that shared physical space. While virtual versions of Pictionary exist, sometimes the fun is taken out of the game when the physical drawing aspect is removed. I worked with a partner to figure out how two users can interact in a shared physical space despite both parties being located in different physical locations. 

The Solution

For context, TOIO robots are Japanese tabletop robots with precise positioning capabilities when they drive over a special mat covered in a micro marker pattern. By reading the marker pattern, the TOIO robot can report its position data on the mat and move to a specified location on the mat. This way, two robots can be programmed to copy each other's driving patterns, which was useful for our prototype. 

The idea of TOIO Pictionary is that using two connected TOIO robots, two people can play a version of Pictionary, where the users are in different physical locations, but the physical aspect of the game is still maintained. Using an attached grip for holding a writing utensil, User A will insert a marker that makes contact with a writing surface underneath (TOIO mat covered in plastic film). User B will control this robot by moving their own TOIO on their TOIO mat for User A’s robot to follow and create a drawing from. At the end, User A can guess the word for the drawing that User B made.  

Initial Prototype Form Factor

We originally wanted to mount a marker (or pencil) on the TOIO robot using a LEGO or 3D printed piece, but we ended up using paper and tape. To connect the positioning data of the robots, we used a GUI that was already built by Casey Hunt, a PHD candidate.  

The GUI: https://toio-mat.herokuapp.com/ 

Refinement

The main problem with our original prototype was that sometimes the drawings of a user did not come out as intended for the other user (the guesser). This is because the guesser's TOIO mat was folded, which created bumps and valleys that would block or trap the TOIO robot, preventing movement. 

The refinements made for TOIO Pictionary included a 3D printed marker holder that sits on top of the TOIO robot and the ability to render drawings on p5.js with built-in prompts. Additionally, when a user is finished drawing, they can press down on their TOIO robot, which causes the other TOIO robot to make a sound, indicating that the drawing is finished and ready for guessing. The marker holder was designed by Maseo Velasquez and provided for us by Casey Hunt. 

Source Code Link: https://github.com/tranjames267/ToioPictionary 

Working P5 Sketch Link: https://editor.p5js.org/tran.james267/sketches/ZeRKdk3fK