Makey Makey and Scratch: Week 3 Reflection

This week, we were asked to pair a Makey Makey with Scratch in order to code a physical object.  The link to my project, directions, and code are here.  All of the characters are programmed to move and make a sound when they are triggered with the arrow keys; the space bar resets the program.  I opted to use my own code, rather than remixing something.  In the spirit of fall, I programmed each haunted character to move when triggered, change its costume, make a noise, and then disappear.





I created a simple controller using felt,  conductive fabric, and a bit of conductive thread.  It had occurred to me that I could create an interactive jack-o-lantern, but I opted for something a little more traditional to help me remember which way was up, down, left, and right.

I tacked the patches of conductive fabric to the felt with conductive thread and attached alligator clips.  I put tape on the tails of the thread to keep them from flopping around and causing a short circuit.

The video below documents how the controller works.

This is the first time that I've ever connected a physical object to my own Scratch program, although I've seen it done. The most challenging part was the programming, especially getting the characters to return to exactly where they started when the space bar was triggered.  I got the job done, but I need to spend more time learning about the more complex intricacies of Scratch.