PowerUp Tag

A screenless electronic game where kids are the characters in the game. Keeps kids healthy in mind and body. This is the story of how it came to be!

[PowerUp Tag @PowerupTag]

@BrooklynGameLab Amazing idea and very well executed! #pordobellives

[PowerUp Tag @PowerupTag]

PROTOTYPE 4 - September 23, 2016: With some webbing and rivets from https://t.co/Zw35WK13mM , I made a crossing-guard style strap, and moved the LED ring to the chest portion of the strap.

But the nRF401 was still flakey when sending messages back and forth.

[PowerUp Tag @PowerupTag]

JULY 2016:

2016 was a sad summer for me. The device worked.

But only just.

Printing it took the better part of a week.

Assembling it took another week.

I let the soldering burns on my hands heal and went back to the drawing board.

[Life Kit @NPRLifeKit]

Parents, stop using your phone as a pacifier — for you or your kid.

10 tips to be a more effective parent in the digital age: https://t.co/bwrymZJv2n

[PowerUp Tag @PowerupTag]

Cartoon Explainer Chapter Three

[PowerUp Tag @PowerupTag]

PROTOTYPE 3 - July 26, 2016: Communicating by nRF24L01. Tags by RFID, lights activated by events in the game. Video shows registering with the system, then setting someone (on the left) into the "PowerUp" state. It's an unholy monstrosity. But it...just...might....work!!

[PowerUp Tag @PowerupTag]

PROTOTYPE 2 - March 3, 2016: After almost a year of experimentation and trial-and-error, I put together this proof-of-concept built out of salvaged parts and two Radio Shack "project containers". This was a test to verify that I could register a tag and transmit news of the tag.

[ASU Child Well-Being @ASUChildWellBng]

Too Much Screen Time May Make Kids Less Ready For School https://t.co/fQZYrQbwas RT @Tessylove2

[STEM Learning @STEMLearningUK]

The summer holidays are here! Create a team, help solve every day challenges to cycling with @OVOEnergy and win £1000 for your school. Request a STEM Ambassador to help you along the way - quote #OVOInnovators in your request https://t.co/l2GGvj10Gs

[PowerUp Tag @PowerupTag]

DEMO 1: May 9, 2019 - A field test of the (ultimately abandoned) color-sensing approach. Demonstrated by one of my professional testers :)

[PowerUp Tag @PowerupTag]

Cartoon Explainer Chapter Two

[PowerUp Tag @PowerupTag]

PROTOTYPE 1 - APRIL 30, 2015: Since the original game relied on colored circles (red, green and blue) I first thought it might work to use a color-detector to register a tag.

[PowerUp Tag @PowerupTag]

How a playground game with sidewalk chalk became an obsession that led to a patented gaming platform. In just a few easy cartoon installments!