GambleBox

This thing is in early dev stage, but I wanted to publish it to give others the possibility to comment on it and to post ideas. Once finished the Box will be available as a kit and fully assembled. All parts, PCBs, firmware, etc. will be opensource.

Please comment your ideas to improve the GambleBox

The GambleBox provides some nice and exciting gamemodes for all kind of LARP like Airsoft, NERF, etc.

Description

The Box can act in different ways, depending on the selected gamemode. One time it's a bomb, the other time it counts your captures on CTF. To plant the bomb or to defuse it you use the keypad to enter a code. On CTF you use RFID-Tags as flags that can be scanned on the box. A 2.4GHz radio makes the Boxes to communicate with each other (untested range ~3000ft, ~1000m). The radio is also used to send information about the reamining playtime, current score, etc. to a small display for each player.
The planned size is about 19.5" length and 8" diameter (50cm length, 20cm diameter). It's a lying cylinder and the bottom will be flat at about 1/4 of the height.

Technical gimmicks

• RFID Reader: used for scanning tags, e.g. to score a capture on CTF
• Keypad: Setting up gamemode, playtime, ...
• 3.2" TFT: show all needed information
• 2.4GHz radio: let the Boxes talk to each other and send information to the players
• external connections: with some isolated connectors you can add your own stuff to the box and maybe let a small firework explode when the bomb detonates or let some lights flash when a team wins or the playtime is over
• Arduino Mega 2560: this wil be the heart of the Box. It's a very common microcontroller and has enough I/Os to control everything

All used parts are very common, so they are low-cost and if something brakes you don't need to spend much money to replace it.

Gamemodes

• Capture the Flag (each team has one Box): scan your flag and the opponents flag at your own base to score
• Centerflag: Try to scan your flag at the box in the middle
• Domination: Scan your rfid-tag at the box to conquer it. The team which conquered the box the most time at the end of the playtime wins
• Seek and Destroy: One team has to protect the box until the playtime is over, the other team has to find the box and arm it. If the bomb explodes before it got defused again the attacking team wins
• Bomb defusal: The bomb is already ticking and it must be defused. If your team makes it you win, otherwise your opponent will laugh at you

Current BOM

• Arduino Mega 2560: http://goo.gl/uiD78o
• 3.2" TFT Display: http://goo.gl/wwTmVr
• 3x4 Matrix Keypad: https://goo.gl/oDvSDm
• RFID Reader RC522: http://goo.gl/Xyc7t6
• 2.4GHz Link NRF24L01: http://goo.gl/idF03Y
• Key Switch: https://goo.gl/jHgMxt
• 5mm RGB LED (34x): https://goo.gl/zvQzHe
• Push Button Green (2x): https://goo.gl/PKgpb2
• Push Button Red (1x): https://goo.gl/WEwxC1
• Push Button Orange (2x): https://goo.gl/Y57XYM
• USB Cable: http://goo.gl/En1ZiS