The research needed for this project was really extensive. Even though the peer-group was easily accessible for our project group, we had to take a lot of effort to get the information we wanted. After gathering a lot of information, picking just the one right thing was a problem as well. A lot of our ideas leaned too much towards a gender specific built, so we had to think more uni-sex, which proved difficult when designing for a 7 year old. Then there was also the problem of creating something that is easy to play with for a 7 year old, but just challenging enough for a 9 year old.

The Demands

• Research and complete build within 10 weeks.
• Non-functional objects aren't allowed during the presentation.
• The object has to be made for the peer-group 7-9 years old.
• The object has to contain a part of information about illustrations (more specifically: the power of them).
• The installation has to be "monkey-proof" (kids are allowed to play with it).

The Design
The design was hard to come by. With loads of ideas, with so little time, we had to pick one. Eventually, we choose the Middle Ages theme as the most accessible theme for 7-9 year old children. The theme should be enhanced with strong colours, not bright, but strong (Yellow, Blue, Red and White). We set the height for the installation to a children's specific size, but also covered the idea that "nosy" parents would attempt to look over the wall. Because in the end, we didn't want the children to loose the idea that this story was a fake. This design also covered schemes for the wiring, interaction flowcharts and programming flowcharts.

The Concept
Upon arrival, a child should be grabbed and put inside the story as fast as possible. That is why a magic mirror calls out for help to the children. When a child walks up to the magic mirror, it gets noticed and is requested to place it's hand on the glass plate below the mirror. When the child does this, it will receive instructions for the next assignment. After this part, the child faces 3 different secret assignments to show the world that it is the best knight / princess of the world. Upon completion, a certificate will be provided as a reward. This to make sure that the child has a reason to complete the assignments and gets enthousiastic.

The tasks included:

• Use an encrypted message, to figure out which shield is the correct one.
• Find this shield hidden on the painting and press it (as a result a blacklight will turn on, showing the painting under a new light!).
• Find the correct keys to open all 3 locks, once you've done this a certificate will be printed.

The Result
The result was good! Although not every aspect of the wall was fully developed, we did manage to create a good scene. Known errors include:

• Too slim feedback for the child (LED's aren't clear enough for a feedback).
• TL black-light for the painting takes time to turn on. Using a pressure switch to turn it on, requires a specific "touch" time.

Photographs
Some additional photo's containing: "behind-the-scenes", electronics, photographs and a complete overview.