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The Boom Box Build – Part 3

We continued to iterate our case design and looked for ways to make the box stronger and easier to assemble.  Through many wasted sheets of plexiglass, we got a lot better at using the CAD software and learned how to use the Glowforge to make the build cleaner.  At this point, we decided we needed to build an entire enclosure out of plexiglass to give the device the weight and durability we were looking for.  You also wouldn’t believe how much time we spent looking for a lower-profile handle to use but opted to shrink the rest of the assembly to create enough space in the case.  At the same time, we were making massive changes to our supply chain which up until this point was Amazon.  We evaluated tons of manufacturers and opted to source most of our parts from a handful of stores on AliExpress.  This allowed us to upgrade the quality of the components (upgraded Arduino, better feeling buttons, a larger screen, and incorporating speakers into the design) without incurring an astronomical price.
At the same time, we continued to think of ways to improve the gameplay.  We wanted to add the right amount of stress and adrenaline to the games so we took cues from popular video games.  We tested various ways to add delays, examined how people engaged with games, and experimented with different difficulty levels.  We want anyone who uses the Boom Box to experience how I felt when I heard the beeping noise from a distance and the thrill disarming the box while under fire.  It was a difficult balance between making the device easy-to-use, customizable, and sufficiently challenging but we think we managed to come up with a pretty good solution.  We also added a Domination mode in which teams need to hold different parts of the map as the Boom Box tallies up the points.
After months of trial and error, we returned to Hollywood Sports Park to deliver the first Boom Box and are proud to say that we think we realized our goal – build something that can take a hobby we all love and expand it. I’d love to say the long days and nights, soldering burns, and the smell of burning plexi are over, but we are continuing to work on this project.  We’d love your help to find new ways to improve the Boom Box or even new products that we can build for our fellow airsofters.  What started as a snide comment on how touchscreens don’t work with gloves became an exercise to keep pushing, to keep improving.
Dream together, Build together, Play together.
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The Boom Box Build – Part 2

Having had a successful run at Warped Ops with the early prototype, we were motivated to create a more robust frame and incorporate the feedback we had collected.  Based on the feedback from our first outing, we added more electronic components such as an OLED screen, flashing LED strips, and more buttons.  We loved the messy, home-made look so we opted to hold the components in place using plexiglass.  Ryan mocked up the layout and used a cordless drill to make a few holes for screws and buttons.  With the layout set, Travis finalized the outline of the plexiglass to sit nicely in the case – things were starting to take shape (pardon the sawdust).
While Travis could cut most shapes, there was no way we would have the consistency or accuracy we wanted if we cut the plexiglass by hand so at this point, I offered to finally set up my Glowforge to start cutting the plexi with a little more precision.  The team was skeptical that we could make the fine cuts needed using this massive laser, but after drafting the frame using our non-existent CAD skills, we realized this was a game changer!  As the days went by, we figured out how to use OnShape (online CAD program) to design all of the little holes, rounded corners, and even a speaker grill! At the same time, Ryan, who’s never satisfied (and probably a little ashamed of his handiwork thus far), started to design an actual PCB to connect the lights, switches, Arduino and battery.  To everyone’s surprise, he shipped the plans to China and 2 weeks later he got a working board!  I believe this was his first PCB he ever designed and built…  This drastically cut down on the rats nest we were building and made the project look a little more professional.  We continued working on it getting it ready for the next game I hosted at Hollywood Sports Paintball.  We brought the prototype with us but we had too many no-shows to secure a private game.  However, during one of the breaks, one of the refs yelled at our team for leaving a magazine in one of our airsoft rifles.  For better or worse, our instinct was to ask him, “Hey, do you wanna see a bomb?”  He was so interested in what he saw that he offered us money for it immediately, but we knew that we could do so much better and offered to come back in 2 months with a finished product.
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The Boom Box Build – Part 1

What all started as shoving a tablet into a Pelican case turned into months of trials and prototypes, small meetings, tons of late night texts, installing a laser cutter and late nights learning to code… We had talked about running scenarios and objective-based games during our private skirmishes to break up the monotony of the standard “force vs. force” gameplay.  Ryan found many Android apps that could be used with a Bluetooth speaker but we ran into a major issue…we would need to remove our gloves to enter the keys and use the interface.  Armed with a never-used electrical engineering degree and a few classes in C+++, Ryan went home and tinkered with Arduinos and a bread board.  What came out of that was this:
From humble beginnings…
It was still the same Bluetooth speaker but LOOK!  Physical buttons!!!  It wasn’t pretty, was mounted on cardboard with loose wires and boards, and seriously looked like a fire hazard, but it worked.  Travis was both intrigued and embarrassed so he took it home and worked to house it in MDF.
Still not pretty but look at that fit!
Travis built a frame for the unit and managed to create a perfect fit for the Bluetooth speaker so it wouldn’t rattle around during games.  This also hid most of the messy wiring and soldering so we felt comfortable enough to try it out. We brought it over to Warped Ops in Santa Clarita, CA and used it during a private game.  Before the game even started, we attracted a small crowd wondering what was making all the beeping noises – we could tell the concept was solid.  After a few confused looks from our team, we explained how this would work in a game and had a blast trying to blow the other team up.  We took notes on ideas to improve the build and features to make it easier to use but the main takeaway was how fun it was to push for a tangible objective.  What really sealed the deal for me was when I heard a beeping noise in the distance with my ear-pro, realized that the Boom Box had been set and our team needed to disarm it.  We needed to continue building this!