Contains music from Ye West - Black Skinhead


Madurodam commissioned the team to think about improving their current interaction in the park called, "Regulate Port Traffic. The team then created the research question. The research question of this project is, "What does a realistic harbor crane look like to scale and how can it best be controlled?". After drafting the main question, a long period of research and construction of a model, with all aspects incorporated, followed.In summary, we can conclude that the process of creating the scale model and coding all the parts for Madurodam was a very challenging but enjoyable task. Through precise programming and executions of the codes we wrote, the team managed to implement the desired functionalities. By creating a functioning and realistic model, everything comes together to form an overall whole. It can be concluded that the research question was met and Madurodam can receive a nice report.Several recommendations can be derived after this research. For example, it is recommended to start using an electromagnet instead of a suction cup system used today. It also advocates the addition of a game element to promote flow and motivate people to play the interaction. Furthermore, it is also recommended that a conveyor belt be added to the boat in conjunction with the game element so that the containers can return to the dock.Finally, time can be invested in adding a start button so that the interaction is not constantly on. A roller bank can also be placed on the dock so that all the blocks will roll to the back and there is always enough room for the blocks to come off the boat using the conveyor belt. Finally, we can look at centering the electromagnet so that it can always hang straight above the container.

Exam score: 9,0

The client of the project is Madurodam. Madurodam is a Dutch miniature city in The Hague and is built to a scale of 1 in 25. The park opened on July 2, 1952 at George Maduroplein. The tourist attraction park attracts about 600,000 visitors annually. The park covers a total area of 62,630 m². The built city itself is 17,630 m². The miniature city has mostly served as inspiration for the construction of various theme parks worldwide, such as Legoland Billund and Disneyland Park in Anaheim. Furthermore, the park contains many interactive attractions, for example, you can put out fires on an oil tanker or weigh yourself in cheeses.

The contact person on behalf of Madurodam is Pedro Tabrizi. Mr. Tabrizi is "Maintenance & New Construction Manager" of the park. His duties include keeping control over the day-to-day running of the technical part of the park.

Currently, the attraction "Rule the Port Traffic" is quite outdated. The containers are not realistic, as they are plastic blocks. Also, the grabbing system of the port interaction does not work quite as desired. Namely, the system works by means of a suction cup that sucks vacuum. This suction cup does not always work properly and therefore can sometimes drop blocks when they are in the air. In addition, the game must be played with two people. Also, the attraction does not run through so many people have to wait. Currently, the harbor crane is made by Hüttinger.

In summary, the assignment is to improve the user experience. Improving the experience should be achieved by implementing several new, more convenient systems. First, there must be an improvement to picking up the containers. The old suction cup system should be replaced with a more modern system. In addition, a system must be developed, which will promote the flow of interaction. The park aims for a throughput of about 60 seconds per visitor on busy days. Third is the demand to change the game to a so-called 'single player', this in addition to the option kept open for the existing ' multiplayer'. Implementing a system where there is only 1 control panel will allow for fewer electronic connections between panels and therefore less chance of any technical disruptions.

From this a design problem was formulated, this one reads, "Design a port crane to scale where there should be a focus on the reality of the crane and the player's game experience."

A main question was also formulated, this one being, "What does a realistic harbor crane look like to scale and how can it best be controlled?"

The first piece of advice that can be concluded from the project is the use of an electromagnet.By implementing an electromagnet, a number of existing problems are solved. For example, an electromagnet is made of metal, instead of the rubber used for the suction cup. The rubber of the suction cup is more susceptible to possible damage, as the rubber tears more quickly. Also, the rubber discolors more quickly, creating a yellow glow over the - originally white - rubber. In addition, an electromagnet is weatherproof. This means that an electromagnet can be used under any weather conditions. With today's suction cup system, there are problems caused by rainwater. An electromagnet does not suffer from this. Other contaminants such as leaves, pieces of plastic or other debris floating around are also less likely to impact the operation of the magnet, compared to the suction cup system.

Another recommendation is to add a game element.First, a game element will promote flow around the interaction. By applying a time limit to the game, people will immediately leave the interaction after a set time so that the turn can be given to other players. A problem that this solves is that people cannot continue playing endlessly, this is because their progression disappears after a certain amount of time anyway. Implementing a game element will also work as a reason for more people to play the game. Especially children (but also many adults) are motivated by the fact that they can gain points and have a huge drive to collect as many points as possible. Currently, the interaction in Madurodam does not yet contain any interaction at all which reduces people's motivation to play the interaction.

Finally, it is also advised to implement a conveyor belt (or something similar) in the interaction.This way, the play blocks will return to the port and the next player can place them back on the ship in their own way. This has the effect that everyone has equal opportunities and not one player can benefit (or be at a disadvantage) from the placements of his predecessor. Furthermore, a conveyor belt prevents blocks from ending up outside the playing field. In the current interaction, during a visit, a play block was observed to have landed outside the play area. To prevent this, the conveyor belt can be placed across the entire boat so that the blocks will always return to the dock.

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Back Overview

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Side Overview

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3D-Printed Containers

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