The concept of "GameForest" is to provide a platform for emotional support, entertainment and education in an urban environment. It draws on the symbiotic relationship between forest communities and animals, and incorporates interactive machine learning methods to encourage participants to leave the hustle and bustle of the city behind and enter and explore this ecological realm. Through the integration of nature and technology, "GameForest" allows participants to better understand the names and shapes of animals living in the jungle, cultivates their thinking about the natural environment, and inspires them to experience the joy of exploring the world in an urban environment, thus Promote interest and hobby in ecological nature.
Our platform is a mini forest similar to a game console. It is a novel and beautiful interactive system. This unique system combines trees, shrubs, rivers and a variety of ecological animals. We hope that users can trigger various mechanisms hidden in the forest through interaction. For example, when the light of a flashlight shines on a certain area, the photoresistor receives a signal and triggers the servo response. At this time, the creatures swept by the light will One by one, they fled from the woods, and the jungle also made a rustling sound. In addition, users can also light up a certain area by tapping or shouting, waking up sleeping fireflies like a voice-activated light, making the forest come alive. These lights are also temporary and moving, simulating the dynamics of a real forest. In addition, whenever a creature is explored, a display screen located above the system will display its name, which gives a certain educational significance to younger users.
We hope that "GameForest" can strengthen the connection between people and nature, and achieve unique educational significance through interactive machine learning technology, open endings and interesting experiential interactions.
Technical Description
The interactive forest platform is constructed with a physical array of artificial trees, bushes, and river models, all designed to simulate a dense forest environment. Hidden within these models are mechanical servos attached to animal figures. These servos are activated by light via photosensitive resistors, allowing the animal models to move when the area is illuminated by the flashlight prop.
In addition, we implemented sound feedback by calling PySerial library and Pygame library in python programme to add auditory dimension to the user's experience. In this case, the PySerial library is responsible for communicating with the Arduino through the serial port and the Pygame library is responsible for playing the audio file. The platform includes a sound sensor that, when triggered by loud noises such as shouts from the children, activates LED lights scattered throughout the forest, creating a visually enchanting effect reminiscent of fireflies in a night forest. Additionally, ambient sounds of running water and frog calls are played to further enrich the atmospheric experience.
The interactive setup also incorporates a digital display positioned on the upper right side of the device, which shows the names of animals as they are discovered, aiding in educational reinforcement. This combination of mechanical, electronic, and digital technologies makes the forest world a complex and engaging educational tool for children.