In this course, we ideated, created, designed, prototyped, and built a final toy and game experience for local fourth graders.

1. Design Nature
Olin School of Engineering

2. The Challenge
In a team of four, we designed a bio-
inspired game play to engage and delight
fourth graders. With the baby sea turtle as
our inspiration, we designed, prototyped,
and built a toy that mimics the crawling
motion of a newborn sea turtle.
Knowing that a toy is not enough, we
designed a compelling story that centers
around the journey that sea turtles
undertake as they hatch in the sand and
make their trip to the ocean with natural
light to guide them.

3. Design Goal
Our design goal is to create an interactive, emotional, and educational
experience for fourth graders that centers around baby sea turtles. We want to
instill companionship between the fourth grader and the cute turtle. While our
main focus is to appeal to our audience, we are also taking into consideration
the needs of teachers and parents as well as ourselves as designers.
Our goal is to create an experience that accurately reflects how one will feel as
if they were encouraging newborn turtles to reach the ocean in real life. We are
building a durable turtle that moves according to the light movement of a
flashlight.

4. Budget
Of our budget of $100
to develop our play
project, we planned to
use $61 and saving the
remainder as
emergency funds. We
allocated funds
accurately, and
produced our project
well under the budget.

5. CADing
Using the program SolidWorks, we created CAD models in addition to sketch
models, simulation videos and drawings. Finalizing the size of all the parts, we
3D printed the legs and part of the body.

6. Constructing the Play Experience
Story line: The sun is beginning to set and newborn turtles must make it to
the ocean before the sky grows dark. Light guides the turtles to the ocean and
without sunlight, they will be left behind. It’s your (fourth grader) job to guide
the turtles with the flashlight safely to the water without bumping into the
obstacles (crab, seagulls, octopi).

7. Part of our design goal is to create a
companionship between the turtle and the
fourth grader. Appealing to the emotions, we
want fourth graders to feel the enth
Play Experience

8. Final Game Play Demonstration
The circuits inside the turtle allows
the front legs to rotate and the back
legs are dragged. Light sensors are
placed on the head in the hopes
that turtle will follow the beam of a
flashlight.

9. Final Game Play Demonstration
Two hours before the showing,
our light sensors ceased to
work. We decided on having
the children guide the turtle as
the turtle moved forward.
They helped the turtle dodge
obstacles on sand-covered
cardboard.