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Originally, we had the idea of using lasers, half-silvered mirrors, and phototransistors to make a
device similar to a keypad. Ideas such as an invisible security system where the "keys" can only be found
by reference on a wall and a dance dance revolution game seemed either too simple or overwhelming, thus we
decided to use input from the device for a video game on the television. Evan's sailing experiences led to
our sailboat simulator which uses the laser device to determine the direction of the wind. The user can adjust
the wind magnitude, the rudder position, and the sail height along with firing a cannon at pirates. The wind
conditions as well as the pushbutton controls are inputs to an Atmel Mega32 microcontroller on an STK500 board.
The microcontroller performs all of the operations involved in game play and displays the game on a television
screen. While sailing a four screen map of the High Seas, treasure is made available when the sailboat passes
through pre-determined regions. Only one treasure is available at a time. The pirates patrol specific routes
in order to impede your progress of retrieving treasure. The game is won when you find and retrieve all six
piles of treasure.
As anyone with a strong interest in the high seas and/or pirates knows, wind conditions
are crucial to any maritime exercise that depends on sails. Furthermore, since the days
of ocean voyaging have been subsumed with the realities of 9AM classes, there exists a
need for interested mariners to be able to experience the subtleties of sailboat maneuvering
from the comfort of their own homes. Since real-life pirates and cannon battles have sadly
diminished in number over the centuries, combining the sailboat simulator with these
historical treasures only seems natural. A sailboat simulator is also useful when training
for sailing.
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