Summary of SILICONE-SLAPPING SERVOS SOLVE SIMON SAYS
This article describes a project by [Michael Schubart] to determine if the modern Simon Air game has an end. He built a robot using servo-actuated silicone hands to slap motion sensors, light-dependent resistors to detect lights, and a Raspberry Pi to process sequences and control the servos. The experiment successfully found the game's limit, proving the existence of an endpoint unlike older versions.
Parts used in the Simon Robot:
- Servo-actuated silicone hands
- Motion sensors
- Light-dependent resistors
- Raspberry Pi
Most modern computer games have a clearly-defined end, but many classics like Pac-man and Duck Hunt can go on indefinitely, limited only by technical constraints such as memory size. One would think that the classic electronic memory game Simon should fall into that category too, but with most humans struggling even to reach level 20 it’s hard to be sure. [Michael Schubart] was determined to find out if there was in fact an end to the latest incarnation of Simon and built a robot to help him in his quest.
The Simon Air, as the newest version is known, uses motion sensors to detect hand movements, enabling no-touch gameplay. [Michael] therefore made a system with servo-actuated silicone hands that slap the motion sensors. The tone sequence generated by the game is detected by light-dependent resistors that sense which of the segments lights up; a Raspberry Pi keeps track of the sequence and replays it by driving the servos.
We won’t spoil the ending, but [Michael] did find an answer to his question. An earlier version of the game was already examined with the help of an Arduino, although it apparently wasn’t fast enough to drive the game to its limits. If you think Simon can be improved you can always roll your own, whether from scratch or by hacking an existing toy.
Source: SILICONE-SLAPPING SERVOS SOLVE SIMON SAYS
- How does the Simon Air detect gameplay?
The game uses motion sensors to detect hand movements for no-touch gameplay. - What components did Michael use to build the robot?
He used servo-actuated silicone hands, light-dependent resistors, and a Raspberry Pi. - Can the classic electronic memory game Simon go on indefinitely?
The article confirms that this specific incarnation has an end which the robot discovered. - How does the system replay the tone sequence?
A Raspberry Pi keeps track of the sequence and replays it by driving the servos. - What sensor detects which segments light up?
Light-dependent resistors sense the illuminated segments to detect the tone sequence. - Did an earlier version of the game have its limits tested?
An earlier version was examined with an Arduino but it was not fast enough to drive the game to its limits. - How can someone improve or recreate the Simon game?
You can roll your own version from scratch or by hacking an existing toy.
