Exhibit at Boston Museum of Science
Tangible Interface, Prototype
Robot Park
Summary
Challenge
A science exhibit that teaches visitors how to program by controlling a robot.
To create a more intuitive and fun interface for an exhibit created by Michael Horn.
Role
Researcher, Designer, Builder
Process
I spent two sessions observed visitors interacting with Robot Park, noting where they got stuck using the exhibit. For example, I observed that many visitors weren't sure where to start.
I also observice that almost all visitors ran into problems with commands like "Repeat" which required adding a separate number piece under the rest of the commands.
Solutions
To address visitors' uncertainty about where to start, I created a video that guided them through the steps to program the robot and explained how the programming worked.
Other changes I made included replacing the interface object from flat, puzzle-like pieces to interlocking blocks.
Compared to the original design, the blocks were more inviting for visitors, encouraging them to approach and explore the exhibit. It also eliminated the issue with the "Repeat" command by incorporating the number of times an action repeated into the block.
Implementation
I built a fully working prototype of the new physical interface, creating interconnected and rotating wooden blocks.