Design and Implementation of an Accessible Smart Die Using Bluetooth® Low Energy (BLE)

Abstract

This thesis discusses the design and implementation of a prototype Bluetooth® enabled electronic die that is accessible for visually impaired users. Traditional dice rely on the visual tracking and recognition of the numbers on the face of the die, which may limit the ability for some to use the independently. This project proposes an embedded in a die that determines the upward facing side of the die using an inertial measurement unit (IMU) and transmits the result to a phone using Bluetooth®.

This project utilises understanding of embedded electronics, radio transmissions and inductive wireless power transmission. It utilises a low power microcontroller as the core of the system, and inductive charging to enable the charging of the internal battery without impacting the functionality of the die. The microcontroller detects when the die is thrown, comes to rest, and reports the result using Bluetooth®. The die is designed to be as small as possible for the components used.

As a result, an electronic die was created. The die performs most tasks correctly, although the microphone picks up vibrations from the die shell and returns false positives.