Mall Map
The "Mall Map" at Pikes Peak Makerspace is a new system that is currently under active construction.
This project still has many interesting hardware and software pieces that need to be designed, and it is not too late to make important contributions.
Please continue reading and then post your ideas to the Pikes Peak Makerspace Slack channel #general, or send a message to Warren Jokinen also via Slack.
When finished
Our Mall Map will be be a standalone kiosk with a large display that will present a color-coded floor plan of our 5,500 square foot facility. It will also display a panel of virtual buttons that when clicked (or touched?) will pull up important corresponding information about those areas.
The Mall Map will be used to greet and inform members and visitors alike at our physical location at 735 East Pikes Peak Avenue. However, it will also be movable and could be temporarily used at various events like Maker Faires, when those are held again. It will only require power for the display and an Internet connection. The size is approximately xx and the weight is yy. (Moving it shall not require a forklift.)
Behind the scenes
The Mall Map is just a bit of JavaScript code running on a web server. It is currently a completely working prototype running within Visual Studio Code on a Raspberry Pi 3b+, and can be demoed/tested at the Makerspace.
The script displays an image (the map) that was originally drawn in Adobe Illustrator by another PPM member, and then detects mouse click events on that map. It currently uses the P5.js library to detect the mouse clicks. It then launches pages from our new wiki, which is also under development:
https://wiki.pikespeakmakerspace.org
(Our wiki will always be under development.)
Remaining Tasks
#1 Continually test that the system is understood and useful to users(!)
Complete the build the of physical stand (powder coat?)
Decide if the system will be on wheels
Pick a monitor and then secure it to the frame somehow
Implement a proximity sensor(?)
Decide if sounds could provide useful feedback, too
Decide what to do while idle
Polish up the User Interface, rollovers, tooltips etc.
Keep the Adobe Illustrator source map current
Keep the wiki pages current, too
Test that system is understood and useful to users
Install system and announce and then promote its use.
Let's get this cool project up and running!
Contact member/volunteer Warren Jokinen via the Pikes Peak Makerspace Slack channel.
