Surprise! Its a Trap! (mark 2 planning)

Planning upgrades for 2nd story bunker explosives....

Arduino rocks!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3wFWGcNG180&fmt=18

Also this:

http://www.adafruit.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=17_21&products_id=94
equals hmmmm

more to follow.

Epic.

It should be cool. We have been getting some great feedback and ideas from others for what the props could also do, and how they could be used in the games.

The prop can be easily and quickly reprogammed in seconds by connecting it to a laptop via usb so it can have radically differant functionality for differant scenarios. (thats IF I can not just have a number of functions loaded up and then choose it via a keypad input before each game.

The original concept of just upgrading the tower bomb electronics has morphed into it being a stand alone bomb, with a dedicated amped audio system (big bada boom!) that can be easily reprogramed to doing duty as tower explosives or transportable bomb that can be captured. It can be tilt and or movement sensitive with gps position tasks. The tilt feature can sense degrees of rough handling and movement to trip the bomb or add time to the bomb activation time (jostling it adds 5 minutes for each hard knock to how long it takes to activate at destination).

It could also be used as a CTF 'flag' instead, where pressing a button activates a team timer (and stops and/or resets opposing team timer) and the first team to hold it for 15 minutes wins. I have seen this done with a latex skull in a form of 'Grif Ball'. Guess where the buttons were.

Any other thoughts?

The parts have been ordered so we are moving ahead with this.

Here is a cool sight where you can check out some of the other sensor options, if it twigs any great ideas.

http://www.seeedstudio.com/depot/sensors-c-84.html

The mini computer just got in, and so I will start the building in the morning. Man its TINY! Its a little smaller than a credit card. This gives lots of options for the 'bomb' build design.

Next stage complete! The audio portion has arrived and has been assembled.











Next is some programming to play the required sound effect when the bomb is triggered.

Strangely enough, I don't think I am going to be able find any sound clips of Admiral Akbar saying 'Surprise C---F--, ITS A TRAP!". Anyone want to give it a shot? By the end of the weekend game here last time, we had some pretty good talent imitating the good Admiral.

I just need a wav file to put on the SD card. Windows sound recorder would work. Also available is Audacity: Audacity® is free, open source software for recording and editing sounds.

http://audacity.sourceforge.net/

It can be a contest. The best Admiral sent to me, gets HIS(or HER) voice immortalized for all time!

The bomb prop is coming along well. I was able to activate its display, and up front controls.

Here is its first baby steps of it getting on the internet: It will report its status and potentially allow remote triggering of several functions.

The address below IS the equipment communicating, (it can act as a webserver).

Hit refresh a bunch and you can see that it is live, continually sending back fresh .data
While internet readiness is the last thing a portable bomb prob needs...its a good test of its function monitering and reporting.

http://new.meadhall.info:8888/

I will see if I perhaps can get some controls up tomorrow. As well as adding the sound inferface.

Thats incredible, I want a car alarm like that.

ok, the internet side is off, while I play with the sound side.

I have had some early success. It speaks!

Here is an early sample...I have video to upload as soon as I find the camera cable that came with to PG....its around here somewhere...

ahhhhh, our baby bombs first words:

first words

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!!!

Scenario Functions

I want this device to be capable of functioning a number of different ways. I don't want a single function device, which is one of the reasons I am doing this with a microcomputer. Feel free to add to any of these functions if you can think of one you would like to see this built for. I will add it to this page.

Function 1: Basic Bomb

Activation is via single button push, 5 minute timer is started, and then display shows the detonation.

Second button push (same button) resets it to zero.

Third button push (same button) restarts the countdown.

This is how we run capture the tower scenarios right now, using just an electronic egg timer, and vary the timer depending on team sizes.

Function 2: Hold the Device the device for 20 minutes total to win

Blue Button is pressed, and Blue Timer is activated. When timer reaches 20 minutes Blue Team win is displayed.

Red Button functions the same.

If either countdown is interrupted by the opposing team Key press, the countdown is stopped and the opposing team timer is started.

1.1 Diffusing Bomb add ons

1.1.1 Diffuse can be done by holding down a second button for 2 minutes. Display shows 2 minute countdown status (along with bomb countdown) Any key release requires the 2 minutes countdown to restart.
1.1.1.1 Have the time required for diffusing be random between 60-180 seconds.
1.1.2 Diffuse can be done by entering in sequence of 25 numbers, each displayed for 500 ms (half a second). Any mistake activates bomb or requires reentering the the sequence from the beginning.
1.1.2.1 Allow the 10 numbers to be entered in immediately (not waiting for each number to be displayed) by capturing the code earlier.
1.1.2.2 Allow some class of bomb squad to only have to enter 5 numbers..or slower...or allowed one mistake.

I ALMOST got our bomb/capture timer going for yesterdays game. Soooo close.

The initial deployment of this gadget will be as a glorified timer for our capture the tower games. More features added later.

A CTT game goes like this. 2 teams race to get to tower site. To win, climb to second floor start the timer (usually 3 minutes). Once count down is done, that team wins.

If the tower is then taken back before the timer expires the counter can be reset (again go to second floor) and count down restarts.

Count down IS automatically reset (but doesn't restart) when 2nd floor is detonated via switch (wireless door chime) on 1st floor. Also, anyone upstairs (stairs included) is now dead. Imagine door chime of detonation DOOM going off while you are upstairs...Cue commercial 'Its DELICIO!'


Right now we are making do with cheap egg timers and shouting.

What I should be able to install for this weekends game should be a bit more sophisticated.

Here is a quick video about the project status.

That's pretty sweet, i'm gonna have to make an effort to come out to that game this season.

BTW, nice new camera What'd you get?

That's pretty epic!

Ya a visit from up North would be great. We play every Sunday....if Saturday would be easier for out-of-towners than let me know and I can talk to the guys about moving to Sat for a weekend.

The camera is a Contour GPS, mounted to a head strap system. I can recommend this and the slightly older ones for airsoft. The older ones might be a better fit, as I record with the CGPS on the lowest resolution which is more than I really need...and the older cams record closer to that and would be cheaper.

The CGPS model DID fix a couple of issues...how the cover locks shut, and placement of the mic...but if one is aware of the issues they are still excellent for Airsoft.

We just finished an all radio game which ran both teams in the field for the whole day campaign. No rests, field reload only and everyone loved it. We will do that again this weekend by request, and probably during the upcoming MAYDAY! event. Chris will be doing the write up for that shortly.

Awesome

Yeah i was gonna guess either a go pro or a contour cam, nice wide angle I've been thinking about trying the chest mount for the go pro, and mount it pretty high. Might get a lot of arm and gun taking up the view though. I do have a boonie hat now though, so i might try something on that.

That time a game seems like it'd be a blast. Mayday event sounds wicked...hmmm.

I did a late night programming and then an early (game day) morning assemble but I got the Bomb working and ready for the first field test. (Had to recover the C programming file of a dead laptop first) We successfully played 4 different tower based games and the addition of a more sophisticated timer with siren worked very well.

First observation. ITS LOUD! Fortunately the loudspeaker is aimed out, so not quite as loud at ground zero. Waiting for the neighbors to swing by to have a word...MAYBE the trees blocked the sound, but I don't know. I did notice that its not as loud when the adrenaline is working. Or maybe that's just hearing damage setting in. Ha!

2nd. Loose the Bond theme for countdown activation...The siren is an enthusiastic player but....not a talented musician. I have the next add-on that will play perfect .wav files which will do a better job anyways.

3rd. Tweak the bomb siren sequence to make it very very different than the win sequence. First game had the the timer reset at the LAST second...and it was hard to hear the difference when the adrenaline is going. Hmmm... the siren DOES play ODE TO JOY quite well.

Over all I think it was a successful first run. The chime on the minute was helpful...and the second count down "chirps' at the last 60 added to the tension of the game.

I will try and get some more video up after some tweaks to the code.