High Level Design

To implement a moving paddle, we used a printer carriage driven by a stepper motor. We attached K'Nex pieces and rubber bands to the ink cartridge holder on the printer to create a paddle. The walls of the game board were made by stretching rubber bands, allowing the ball to easily bounce off of them. A paddlewheel was constructed from poster board and attached to a DC motor to provide a method to keep the ball moving. For the computer player, eight lasers and light sensors were placed along the length of the board. This way, the computer would be able to sense where the ball was on the playing field. A ninth laser and sensor pair was added along a goal line so that score could be kept. For the human player, the paddle is moved left and right using an NES controller. A character display was used to display information such as time played, score, and whether the computer or a human is playing the game. To begin the game, either computer or player is chosen by pressing the SELCT button on the Nintendo controller, and the choice is reflected on the character display. Once the START button is pressed, the paddle can begin moving. Play continues until a goal is scored, at which point the START button on the Nintendo controller needs to be pressed to resume play.