The Communication Dice is a project created by myself and a few other Clemson students that aimed to envision and prototype a tangible device capable of utilizing its medium to provide simpler communication.
We created a video to demonstrate a use case for the device.
The main idea and purpose of this device is to allow a form of communication that acts as an alternative to traditional text messaging systems found on cell phones. On cell phones, in order to communicate with them, one must first understand how to use and navigate the device as well as dedicate a significant portion of time to crafting the message or calling to say the message. This poses a problem for younger users or users who may not be capable of utilizing this medium. The Communication Dice aims to be the simple, natural way to provide a quick message to another.
The device was planned to utilize a battery-powered Lilypad microcontroller inside the device to control the leds, with each face connected to the pad by a button under the surface of the device. The Lilypad would be equipped with a wifi chip enabling it to be paired to another device.