BOCS
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BOCS is an open-source, extensible puzzle box designed to attract passersby to interact with it. BOCS was my final project for my Principles of Engineering class that focused on the designing and building of electromechanical systems. Over the course of nine weeks, I worked on a team of five people to create this complex project involving mechanical, electrical, and software components.
The ultimate goal for this project was to create a puzzle box that could be left in a semi-public place (like MIT's campus for example...) and attract passersby with a unique personality to try its unconventional puzzles. To achieve this, we wanted to make the BOCS look interesting but not too threatening and give it a distinctive persona. The BOCS has an AI-like voice that gives the user feedback by either praising them or berating them, based on the user's success. The BOCS features five unconventional input methods that can be used for a variety of puzzle applications—and because the BOCS is fully open-source and documented, users can write their own puzzles using these inputs for the BOCS. The inputs include a Morse Code clicker button, a size-detecting drawer, a light-up button grid, a number pad, and a seven-key piano keyboard. When the puzzles have been completed, the BOCS dispenses candy and a commemorative token from its prize dispenser. |
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As a member of the BOCS team, I was responsible for a number of the puzzle designs, input methods, mechanical construction, and user interface. I designed, fabricated, and coded the size-detecting drawer, came up with the foundational concepts of four of the puzzles, designed and constructed the prize dispenser, and created the BOCS's AI voice and responses. This project helped me improve my skills of designing a user interface, creating CAD in SolidWorks, project and team management, and mechanical construction and prototyping.
To learn more about the BOCS, visit the full BOCS website.
To learn more about the BOCS, visit the full BOCS website.