The Cowtown Computer Congress

Who would have thought a little wooden labyrinth game could take us in so many directions. What started out as an idea to modify this toy into a party game is turning into an educational journey.

This game has captured the imagination of many by using a Nintendo WiiFit to control the movements on a traditional labyrinth game. A computer is used to interpret your movements when you shift your weight around. The computer sends commands to the popular Arduino microcontroller that tells servo motors how much to turn the knobs on the game. The Arduino is a great way to introduce people to the world of microcontroller programming for their own inventions.

HackDC Party

Our original wooden labyrinth spent a weekend in Washington DC recently with @hevnsnt. The HackDC group threw a party and found this prime location for the game. More pictures are posted on this flickr account

The popularity of this project has encouraged members of the Kansas City Robotics Society (KCRS) and Cowtown Computer Congress (CCCKC) to build a 10 foot by 12 foot robotic labyrinth as an interactive display for Science City. Science City is host to over 30,000 school kids and 170,000 family members per year. It is located inside Kansas City’s historic Union Station which sees approximately 2 Million visitors per year.

The giant Robotic Labyrinth is being built by volunteers and with contributions of supplies, materials, workspace, and other donations. For more detailed information about the project and a list of current sponsors check out this overview of the Science City’s Robotic Labyrinth Project.

To learn more about how this project started check out the Arduino Powered Robotic Labyrinth Game and you can find the daily blog starting here.

If you are interested in helping with the project or becoming a sponsor, your donations are welcome.

Contact: LabyrinthProject@KansasCityRobotics.org

Thank you for your interest and I’m looking forward to your comments.

@SomeoneKnows