Robotic Arm Drive System for Automated Board Game Piece Movement
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing electronic game boards require players to manually move game pieces for remotely located opponents, which is tiresome and limits the physical gaming experience.
Innovation Solution
An electronic game board with a drive system that includes a robotic arm and actuators to simulate moves on a play area, allowing game pieces to be moved automatically based on control signals, eliminating the need for manual movement by the player.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a gaming system controls the operation of the electronic game board to communicate moves between remote players, then players can play with remotely located opponents on a physical board, but the local player has to manually move game pieces for the remote player which is tiresome
Solution Approach 1:
The electronic game board automatically moves game pieces for both players using a drive system with robotic arms and actuators. The system receives move information from the gaming system and autonomously executes the moves by physically manipulating the game pieces, eliminating the need for the local player to manually move pieces for the remote player.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the manual mechanical operation of moving game pieces with an automated drive system. The drive system uses robotic arms controlled by actuators to pick up and move game pieces across the play area, substituting human manual manipulation with an automated mechanical system.
2Ease of operation
If the drive system uses robotic arms and actuators to automatically move game pieces, then manual movement burden is eliminated, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The drive system is designed to be universal and multi-functional, capable of moving any game piece to any position on the play area. A single robotic arm with multiple degrees of freedom can handle different game scenarios (checkers, chess, ludo, etc.), reducing the need for multiple specialized mechanisms and justifying the complexity through versatile functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
The robotic arm acts as an intermediary between the control system and the game pieces. It receives commands from the gaming system and translates them into physical movements, mediating between the digital control signals and the physical game state, which simplifies the overall control architecture despite the mechanical complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
An electronic game board that simulates moves of one or more players includes a top cover that includes a play area onto which game pieces are arranged for facilitating a game. The electronic game board further includes a drive system located beneath the top cover for simulating the moves on the play area by moving at least one game piece from a first position on the play area to a second position on the play area. The drive system includes a robotic arm and first and second actuators for controlling movement of the robotic arm. To simulate the move, the first and second actuators control the movement of the robotic arm such that the game piece is moved from the first position to the second position by way of the robotic arm.