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Problem Statement

Many people use fidget toys to engage their brain with an additional stimulus to better focus on a primary task. Over the years fidgets have been designed to be smaller, quieter and more multifaceted as to ensure their ability to engage the brain for a sustained amount of time and to not engage or distract those not fidgeting. While fidgets have gotten better, such a large volume of options causes some users to fidget unproductively and often continue to spend money on popular but ineffective products.

Goal

Create a fidget that tracks and processes user fidgeting data into a report on their fidgeting patterns and informs them about ideal future fidgets buying.

Process: You should maintain a record of your work as it progresses. This should include: components used, photos and videos of the circuits assembled, code (and versions of your code), reflections and challenges encountered, how you solved problems, iterated etc. Be able to tell the story of your work.

Process:

What does any ol' fidget need to be?

Quiet: Fidgets can have sound but the most ideal fidgets make little or no noise. This makes them ideal for use even in a library, business meeting, classroom, or office space. The places where fidgets are most useful in the channeling of focus.

Small/ Hideable: Fidgets need to be used almost anywhere even if it is little or not tablespace. It should be small enough for a person to hold it without it being obvious that they are fidgeting holding a fidget.

Underwhelming (to non-users): Following the trend of being discrete, fidgets are supposed to be subtle in appearance. Many fidgets have interesting bright contrasting colors but fidgets that are good for focus in workspaces make little or no other environmental noise. Playing with the fidget should not pull others out of focus. If it focuses the user while distracting other people in the space its not doing its job well. Any type of lights, motion or dynamic display is likely to distract others which is why this project includes not lights or speakers. This is also a reason that fidget spinners are not considered appropriate desk items in workplaces and schools. Depending on their use and the user's interaction with their surroundings it can become more of a toy than a fidget

Multi-Fidgeted: No one fidgets exactly the same way every time. This is why many fidgets feature many types of fidgets. The motion(s), textures, sounds and other types of touch and feel hand to brain stimulus. Having many fidgeting options prevents boredom and increases the chances of having a more constant peripheral engagement and therefore more consistent focus.

Materials

LabelPart TypeProperties
ArgonPhotonvariant variant 1; manufacturer Particle; pins 24; name Photon; version 1.0.0
Button1Pushbuttonpackage [SMD]
Button2Pushbuttonpackage [SMD]
Button3Pushbuttonpackage [THT]
Button4Pushbuttonpackage [SMD]
Button5Pushbuttonpackage [SMD]
FlexBendSensorBasic Flex Resistorsensing area diameter 6 "
ForceSensorBasic Force Sensing Resistor (FSR)sensing area diameter .5 "; package THT
GyroscopeTriple Axis Accelerometer Breakout - ADXL335chip ADXL; axes 3 (x, y, z)
Joy StickThumb Joystick
PushButtonSquare Pushbuttondefault state Normally Open; switching circuit SPST
R2220Ω Resistortolerance ±5%; resistance 220Ω; package 0402 [SMD]

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