ZapWizards' Chess Project -Submit your own chess pieces

ZapWizards' Chess Project -Submit your own chess pieces! -May 19th

How many of your are interested in chess? (Project potential)

I have an idea for a Electronic Chess project, but it would cost nearly $300 to buid. If I build it I plan on selling it for $500 to $700.

Would anyone here like a really nice, but really expensive chess set before I start to put money into this?

CLICK FOR LARGE IMAGE

 

if the pieces dont move on their own, and dont destry each other im not interested.

 

I think $500 - $700 is a bit steap sorry but i suppose if your gonna put alot of work in them and they is unique then i suppose its justified. I got a electronic chess set it was £40 and the pieces light up plus theres 64lvls so it gets hard upto 24hours a move.

How would yours work
what would it be made of
Got any rendered designs yet

 

I'd be interested. Except for the payment part . Just sell it to some businessman who's never going to use it.

 

I would probably sell it on eBay.
There are plenty of rare chess sets up there.

This set would be made of glass, each piece would be lit up BLUE or RED. As you lift a piece off the board, the light would fade off, and as you place it back down the piece would light back up the correct color.

Each piece would have a magnet, North or South acording to their side of the board.

Under each square would be a dual polarity hall sensor. (Magnetic sensor)
A dual color LED, and a few transistors/resistors/caps.

The Hall sensor and LED cost the most, plus the board production, unless I do it by hand but it would be 12 inches by 12 inches.
Each Hall sensor is about $1.40 each, and each LED is $1.00 each.
There are 64 squares, so that is $154 just for those two parts.

It would be much cheaper in mass production of course.
(Some company will read this thread and make it I am sure.. )

 

What do you need the magnets and hall sensors for? Are you going to be able to keep track of each peice by detecting when they are removed, then lighting the square on to which the peice is placed with the colour it was previously? What if people slide the peices across the board? And won't a glass peice look ugly with a magnet in it? Won't it block the light entering from the bottom?

 

if all the leds etc cost $154 why can't you get and discount on that lot shorly you could get a bulk purchas eand reduce that by a little or somin

& couldn't you use some sort of pressure senser instead of magnets

 

just make one for yourself, i'd love to see; it sounds like a very attractive piece.

 

Instead of glass, what about if you just shape Plexiglas rods in a CNC lathe? Or are you sick of Plexiglas?

 

That does sound pretty sweet dude. I bet there is someone willing to buy it tho cause there are many "collector" sets out there now and having yours would be unique. If you do it tho you should make the pieces awesome...

 

DEX:
The circuit is simple, the hall sensor detects whether or not the magnet is north or south, and lights the correct LED. (Blue or Red)

So no matter if you pick it up or slide it only the right LED will light.
The hall sensor automaticly powers only the strongest magnet.
So even if you put a South piece next to a North peice, which ever is closer to the sensor stays on. (Both are never on)
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In reality sliding the pieces will result in a awsome sweeping effect across the whole board.
And a very cool fading color change over when you kill another piece.
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The magnets I have decided on have a 0.375" inside hole, enough for let all the LED light up into the piece.
They are also chomed, so they won't look ugly when viewed through the peice.
http://www.allelectronics.com/cgi-bin/category.cgi?category=370&item=MAG-77&type=store
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M_D_K:
I this set wouldn't cost much in quanity (1000's), as all the parts would be pennies, but this is a prototype build so it's expensive.

As far as pressure sensors, it sounds good, but would require a plastic top-coat, which would wear down in time.

I can't use optical sensors either as there is no way to tell which color the piece is, and half the squares are frosted glass.
(This is the prototype chess-set: Linky)

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wedgius
The prototype will be using the above linked chess set.
After that sure I can make my own pieces, but glass is just nice than plastic.
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This chess set would be custom build out of wood/metal/glass.
Very high quality, and classy looking.

Definently a collectors item.

Renderings coming soon...

 

I feel the need - the need to read!

'Tis a nice set, though. Unfortunately, I'm horrible at chess (harder to look down to analyze a situation than to look across a field for me), but with your set, at least I'd lose in style.

 

That's a friggen awesome idea, you aughta look into getting patent if it sells very well (and fast I might say).

 

Its a great idea, and will look sharp.

I just don't have that much money to spend. I'm trying to build up a collection of sets, but it takes time and money.

If Im going to spend that much money on a set, the pieces better move on their own. There is a company that makes sets like that, but they haven't had one in production for awhile. They utilize magnets under the board that drag the pieces around...looks like a ghost is playing.

Just a thought while I was typing this, and you're just the one to ask. Is it possible to get enough power to the piece without a wire directly touching it? I mean, if the led's were in the pieces themselves, would it be possible to light them with the power source in the board? Perhaps with the method used in those mats that charge different devices just by laying the device on them?

 

Spawn, I did think of using magnets to move the pieces around, but that will be for a later version.

Also if I say, used an osmosis type charger to light an LED inside each piece, but that would acutaly be more expensive.

I think I just need to find a cheep source for the hall sensors.
(There are tons of sensors, but I have found only one that has seperate north/south outputs, but it powers off when there is no magnetic field.

Well as promised here are the renderings.

CLICK FOR LARGE IMAGE





Each circuit would look like the above, there would have to be 64 of them.

 

I'd love one of them (I have a glass set from Argos, but its pretty dull... and too small for my hands ), but no way would I have the money (nor would I spend such money, if I had it) on a chess-set.

I know of a prototyping company in Taiwan, they get all the electronics at massive discounts and can do pretty much anything you ask of them, they'll even design PCB for you (but they would ask you do it, if you can). Perhaps you should try contacting a prototyping company whos sole purpose is to make products like that, for prototypes. If all goes well, the same company can actually mass-manufacture the products as well!

 

Mmmmmm... purdy

I would love to buy that thing if/when it's done, if only I had the money
I'm sure it would look great sitting in some company's CEO's office though.

Edit: Can I borrow your brain for a week or two, you have so many great idea and so much knowledge.

 

Hehe, thanks.
I did that rendering in less than an hour too.
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I already have the board layout, and schematic done.
I have ordered samples of the hall sensor, so I can try the circuit out when they get here. (If they ever send them)
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Liquid K9 that sounds like a plan, I try to find a company that can do that.

 

Linkie

the place I found very helpful was Titoma, they are much more 'up to date' than some companies. I even spoke to the representative over MSN (not very likey to happen with most companies). They also seem to be very good at what they do (not to mention that taiwan gets electronics extremely cheap, therfor the prototype will be cheaper).

I hope it works for you. They were very helpful when I was enquiring about a prototype I wanted made (I never had it made because it was an unrealistic product).

 

Wouldnt Surface mount technology make this a heckuva lot smaller? Just a thought! GL!