Project Infada. Our story Imagine Cup 2014

Hi, Habrahabr! Many kindergartens have interactive boards, projectors, laptops. However, to use them in working with children requires special software and people who know how to handle it. Therefore, usually this technique is used maximum for watching movies.

This is what we suggested at the Imagine Cup 2014 to solve this problem.

A person in the process of movement assimilates information much better than when he just sits still. The child constantly learns something new, develops, and the process of the mobile game is a natural and priority occupation for him. Combining development and movement, we have turned Infada.

Infada? What is it?

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Infada is a complex of educational games based on Kinect for Windows . During the game the child does not sit buried in a monitor or tablet. He controls the game process through his movements, developing his thinking and logic, coordination and spatial perception. With this method of conducting classes, the child is more deeply involved in the learning process than with the use of conventional techniques. Infada is designed for classes in preschool institutions and children's developmental centers.

At the moment, the complex consists of three games: Labyrinth, Airplane, and Fourth superfluous. Each game works on the development of a particular skill. So, for example, the Fourth superfluous develops the ability to classify objects according to a certain sign, and the Labyrinth - spatial thinking.

Background and idea development

Why did we choose such an idea? Once, as usual, I was sitting kodil, and a two-year-old brother was running around me. At some point, mom got sick of it, and it sounded like “you programmer, write the game to the child.” At that moment I just waved it off, but this thought came up a few months later. I thought: for the brother, I will make the game useful, developing and generally the best. Why not think more globally? So the idea of ​​the Infadas was born.

Since there was no one among the assembled team who had an idea of ​​working with children, we turned to practicing kindergarten teachers. In the process of communication, it turned out that the problem of the lack of modern interactive manuals really exists. Then the training schemes were developed, which were implemented in the demo version of Infada. After that, we consulted a child psychologist, received approval and conducted our first lesson in kindergarten. The kids were delighted! This is how it happened.

Technical part

For implementation, we chose the Unity3D game engine, as the team had people who had worked with it before. But with the development of Kinect, none of us had not previously encountered, so we have a long time the question was: how to apply to Kinect? We tried many options, including such as Zigfu, MiddleVR, as well as some others. However, in the end, we came to the most obvious option: direct work with the Kinect SDK . It turned out that this is the most convenient way, and we also got all the opportunities to work with Kinect, moreover, completely free of charge.

Unfortunately, we did not have time to order Kinect for Windows v2 for developers, but we are waiting for the start of sales in the summer. Of the known features, we were most interested in such as improved skeleton tracking and 1080p picture resolution. We also hope that the new drivers from Microsoft will allow you to track more than two people at a time.

Regional final of the Imagine Cup

Just a couple of weeks after visiting the kindergarten, the regional final of the Imagine Cup was to be held in Yekaterinburg, so we promptly mounted a promotional video and prepared for this important day for us in every possible way. And, in spite of the fact that we did not occupy the top place, we received invaluable experience in speaking to investors and found some unfinished places in the business plan.

Separately, I would like to thank the organizers. This is my second time participating in the Imagine Cup, and each time the quality of the event was at its best. Everything went well and without delay. And thank you very much Microsoft for the great opportunity to make the world a better place!