:::Colony prototypes:::2

:::User Interaction:::

In my attempt to enhance users experience when they interact with Nicos, I feel as though there needs to be to the Nicos behavior than just getting grumpy when they get picked and happy when they are back with their pals.
I have come up with different way in which Nicos can interact with the user that could result in a more meaningful interaction:

:Feeding:

Through the use of reed switches positioned bellow the surface of the mouth area, as a cupcake (favorite Nico's food) containing a magnet gets closer to that area flips the switch. This will trigger a "happy" reaction of the Nico. I am still trying to fgure out what that may look and sound like.

:Tickle:

Nicos love to be tickled. Throught the use of conductive thread located some where in the Nico's body, if touched for a period of time, the Nico will start to purring.

:Purring:

If the Nico is tickled in the right spot, it will start to purr, through the turning on of a motor insde the Nico that will create a subtle vibration.

:::Implementation:::

The following are the aspects of the implementation that I stll need to figure out.

:IR emitter and receiver pair:

I am still trying to figure out in a simple and inexpensive way the Nicos can communicate to each other at a short distance. I have been looking at IR emitter and receiver pairs. For what I want to do the seam the most suitable, but I still need to figure out exactly they function.

:Testing Piezo vibration sensor:

Need to look at how I can make the reading of the Piezo make sense. I may just replace it all together by the capacitance sensor.

:Timing and exiting a loop in code:

a. Need to figure out how read for how long a button has been pressed.
b. Be able to exit a loop when a switch is set to high