Arcade: Tide Rhythm Machine

June 2022

/Pre-Diploma/Prototyping

Project description

Arcade is a project about the development of the "Tide Rhythm Machine", an educational game machine designed to illustrate the differences between analog and digital computing, while promoting collaborative play.

Tide predicting machine, by Sir William Thomson in 1876.

Scan made by uploader from copy of Thomson's design sketch for the third tide-predicting machine, 1879-81, as published in Proceedings of the Institution of Civil Engineers, vol.65, 1881 — William Thomson's design sketch for the third tide-predicting machine.

It's design pays homage to William Thomson's 'Tide Prediction Machine', a notable analog computer used for forecasting tides in coastal areas.

In this cooperative rhythm game, players will experience both analog and digital computations side by side, aimed to illustrate the characteristics of both while working together to achieve a high score.

Analog vs Digital

But what are the difference between analog and digital computing?

Analog

Continuous
Quantities of interest are represented by physical parameters
Energy efficient
Single purpose
Non-repeatable
Inexact (~ 1% error rate)

Digital

Discrete
Quantities of interest are represented by symbols
Relatively energy inefficient
Universal
Repeatable
Exact

Gameplay

The game is based on a co-pp rhythm game mechanic with the goal to reach a high score. It goes faster the longer you survive.

The Digital Player, has to hit notes falling down at the right timing. If they miss, they lose a Health Point. If all Health Points are lost, the game ends.

The Analog Player, has to catch the falling Pinballs, in order to reduce the speed -> making it easier to predict the notes for the other player.

Components

Analog Computer

This is main piece of the machine, the analog computer. 4 crank shafts are drawing a curve e.g tides that can than be translated into movement and speed for the game.

Callibration Tool

In order to callibrate the computer, I've coded a tool in 'Processing' to calculate the movement the machine will make according to how it is adjusted.

Gearbox

The gearbox then translates the calculations from the analog computer into one axis.

Pinball Distributer

Pinballs are then evenly split to the 4 lanes and let go in tact of the rythm game. The lanes are swaying according to the 'tides' predicted by the analog computer.