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Detecting a Made Shot
We used a technique called Template Matching, which essentially compares a template image to every possible location in a larger reference image. If there was a high correlation between our template image and a point in our reference image, our algorithm knew it had found a picture of the template image inside of the reference image. Our system used an empty (unmade) cup as the template image. This allowed the system to count the number of cups in play and recognize when there was a decrease in correlation for a particular cup, indicating that the cup had been made.
When A Design Choice Has Unintended Results
It is interesting to see how our choice to use such a small camera has influenced future student projects. We did not need to use a small camera for our project. We just chose our camera because it worked well for our purposes. However, because our camera was small and easily attached to the ceiling tiles above, future teams have used our interface between the FPGA and the camera for their own hidden camera projects.
I wonder if my teammate and I should have considered how this design choice would affect projects outside of our own. When products are created, designers need to think about how certain aspects of their product might be reprogrammed or modified to achieve a controversial result. Society is becoming more and more aware of the issues and morals surrounding tracking technologies, and looking back on this project perhaps my teammate and I should have realized that we were essentially laying the groundwork for a hidden camera system. While this project is just a minor example of how a design can be used for unintended purposes, it is a lesson that I can draw upon as I pursue a career in design.
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