I’ve officially begun my project, which focuses on designing a technologically enhanced Xiangqi piece. The idea is to create a physical game piece that can house internal systems like micro-movement mechanisms and circuitry, essentially blending a traditional board game with modern engineering.
At its core, the problem I’m trying to solve is this: how can we preserve the physical and cultural feel of Xiangqi while introducing intelligent or mechanical functionality into each piece? This project is aimed not only at players, but also at anyone interested in robotics, design, and human-interactive systems.
My working goal is to design a piece that is compact, functional, and structurally capable of holding internal components without compromising its form.
Current Progress
So far, I’ve started building the first rough draft of the piece using CAD software (Onshape). This part of the process has been both productive and surprisingly enjoyable—especially rediscovering tools like extrusion and edge smoothing, which helped shape the overall structure.
Right now, the design consists of two main parts:
- Main compartment:
This acts as the primary housing for future components. At the moment, it’s a simple shell with an internal wall, but it establishes the space I’ll be working with. One highlight here was smoothing out the walls, which gave the piece a much more refined and realistic feel. - Lid:
A basic top cover that will eventually seal the internal systems. In the future, I plan to engrave characters onto the lid to maintain the traditional Xiangqi aesthetic.
Combined, these form a very early prototype of the casing. It’s still simple, but it sets the foundation for future iterations where more complexity will be introduced.
Research and Direction
My research is still in its early stages, but I’ve identified three major areas I need to explore next:
- Micro-bots or mechanisms for movement
- Methods of connectivity (how components communicate)
- Internal circuitry and power systems
Out of these, movement will likely be the most challenging and important part, since it directly defines how the piece interacts with the board.
Challenges
Looking ahead, there are a few major challenges I expect:
- Fitting all necessary components into a very limited space
- Designing a reliable and efficient movement system
- Preventing the interior from becoming overcrowded
- Maintaining a balance between functionality and clean design
The biggest concern is definitely the movement system, as it requires both mechanical precision and efficient use of space.
Next Steps
For the next phase, I plan to:
- Dive deeper into research on micro-movement systems
- Begin thinking about how internal components will be arranged
- Update the CAD model to include compartments and mounting points
- Continue iterating on the design as new ideas come in
Thanks for reading!
奉天承運愛新覺羅·Princeton，詔曰：
是日之功，雖為初構，然志在深遠。著此為記，以觀其興衰得失
-my grampa wrote this
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