Synchro Boarding: The Game
Synchro Boarding is a highly competitive sport combining synchronized swimming and skateboarding. The sport requires teams to perform a synchronized dance while also performing skateboard tricks. It requires great strength, agility, balance, and grace.
The Simulated Presentation of Ridiculous Technological SPoRTS (SPoRTS) tries to recreate key aspects of Synchro Boarding in an arcade game to get more people interested in the sport. The two key features highlighted in the game are synchronized hand movements and balancing. Without these two elements, one cannot be a successful Synchro-Boarder. Synchronized hand movements are created by guiding the two players to cover the same targets with their hands - these targets cycle to create a dance motion. The two users are also standing on balance boards that provide vibrotactile feedback when the user is off balance. The main stages of game play are:
- Insert Access Card
The game will power up when an access card is inserted - Press the "Ready" Button
Both players must press their Ready Button to signify that they are on their balance boards and are prepared. Game play begins once both users are ready. - Target Practice
The same target will illuminate for both players and they must both cover it with their hand at the same time. - Balance Practice
Both players must remain balanced at the same time for 4 seconds. - Performance
Players must remain balanced and cover the same targets at the same time. Targets will light up in a pattern and will only progress if both players are balanced and have successfully covered the illuminated target together.
The game will end when either the access card is removed or the game times out. If the access card is removed, the game goes back into lockdown. If the game times out, an end of game flag pops up and an end of game show begins. After a short period of time, the game will go back into waiting for the players to be ready so players can play again.
The main sensing components of the game are:
The main feedback mechanisms are:
The main sensing components of the game are:
- Target Sensors
The targets have a long-range tape sensor that senses if a hand is present by sensing if the pulsing IR signal is reflected into the phototransistor. - Balance Sensors
Balance is detected through a potentiometer that gives an analog signal proportional to how off-balance the player is and through two microswitches which provide a digital signal for when players are completely off-balance. - Access Card Sensors
The access card is sensed through two tape sensors that are placed such that one should detect dark paper and the other light paper when the access card is fully inserted. - "Ready" Button
A single pole, single throw button is used for the "Ready" button
The main feedback mechanisms are:
- Targets
- Targets brighten whenever they are on and covered
- In Target Practice, the target will flash three times when both players successfully cover their targets
- In Performance, the target will brighten and then advance to the next target when players successfully cover their targets - Balance
- In Balance Practice, the amount of vibration the player feels is proportional to how off-balance they are
- In Performance, players' boards only vibrate if they are completely off balance - Stages
- In Waiting for Ready, the display board will slowly cycle through a pattern turning each target on and off.
- When a player hits their ready button, all of the targets turn off.
- The game clock starts counting down when both players are ready
- Between Target Practice, Balance Practice, and Performance, a stage indicator will turn to display the current stage of the game
- All of the targets flash during balance practice
- At the end of the game a flag pops up and there is an end of game show which cycles through all of the targets quickly