BraidsTag

An open source lasertag game featuring network connected guns enabling advanced gameplay fetures.

Design considerations

While the networked nature of the guns is a significant feature, this is fundamentally unreliable in a field and so enough data for basic functioning must be transmitted in the IR “shot”. A system for resolving any problems from guns being out of contact exists and we will test and monitor the state of the mesh to reduce the incidents of this.

Hardware

The guns use an arduino for the realtime control of the IR led and reciever (and some auxiliary hardware like a torch). The main processing is done on a Raspberry Pi (probably a zero-w) connected by serial link.

We might include a screen on the gun controlled by the arduino but cost is a factor.

We might include a bluetooth headset for both audible gun feedback and comms (using mumble protocol or similar).

Mesh Network

We use a batman-adv mesh to network the guns and if needed can deploy repeater nodes for the cost of just a pi zero-w and battery.

Software

Arduino

Written in C using the arduino IDE, this is deployed directly to the arduino but will form part of the client release package and be deployed from the Pi to the arduino.

Pi

Written in Python, there is a client and server with some shared components. QT is used for the management UI on the server.

Deployment

Deployment will be using multi-container support on resin.io. There will be a client application which includes the Pi client and the arduino firmware and a server application which contains the server app and some networking infrastructure (dhcp server and name resolution from DNS or Avahi)