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VaiKai SmartPlay Doll

  • Smart devicesSupport & Maintenance
VaiKai SmartPlay Doll

In a nutshell

This project aimed to enable the VaiKai product to be a smart toy using BLE technology. needCode employees added BLE functions to the existing client software project. They also updated the existing implementation to support all required BLE functions. The scope of work included most of the features associated with FW or v0.1 and v0.2 from Vai Kai Companions – interaction specifications and user stories.

Transforming VaiKai into a modern smart toy was a mission undertaken by the visionary needCode team. Leveraging BLE technology, the team elevated the VaiKai product by enhancing client software, integrating crucial BLE functionalities, and aligning with the latest requirements.

Project overview

Project Duration:

03.2017 - 09.2017

Team Setup:

2 x Software Embedded Engineers

Technology:

BLE, C, Python

Project Scope

BLE Functionality Upgrade: Seamlessly integrated BLE functions into the existing client software, including features of multi-connection support and over-the-air firmware updates.
GAP and GATT Implementation: Utilized Texas Instruments BLE Stack version 2.2.0 to develop GAP and GATT functions, ensuring compliance with BLE standards.
System-Wide Solution: Provided a comprehensive solution for generating asynchronous events, and optimizing external actions like playing sounds or motion detection.
User Interaction: Empowered users to search for devices, connect and interact with dolls, and receive battery and charging status notifications.

Approach

To achieve the project milestones, needCode’s Team followed a systematic approach:

Requirements Analysis: Meticulously analyzed requirements and user stories to lay the foundation for development.
Status quo: Inspect existing hardware and software approaches to understand limitations and challenges.
BLE Technology Integration: Incorporated Texas Instruments BLE Stack version 2.2.0, extending hardware/function APIs for enhanced BLE functionality.
Thread Communication: Implemented TI RTOS API for efficient communication between threads, optimizing energy consumption.
Key Features Implementation: Sensors data acquisition and processing followed by light and sound output operation to enable human–doll integration.

Business Impact

The implementation of BLE technology in the VaiKai resulted in:

Smart Toy Functionality: Positioned VaiKai as an intelligent toy, enriching its features through BLE technology.
Innovation and Market Attraction: Showcased VaiKai as an innovative product, attracting attention and fostering potential partnerships.
Competitive Advantage: Gained a competitive edge in the smart toy market by incorporating BLE functionality.

Results and Achievements

The collaborative efforts of the needCode team led to noteworthy achievements:

Successful BLE Integration: Incorporated BLE functions seamlessly, meeting acceptance criteria.
Integration with existing hardware: Embedded Software was optimized to fit into existing hardware and meet power consumption requirements.
User Engagement: Delivered a flawless user experience focused on children-friendly interactions and easy setup.

Conclusion

The dedication of the needCode team transformed VaiKai into “VaiKai SmartPlay Doll” a testament to the transformative power of strategic technology integration, effective communication design, and user-centric feature implementation. VaiKai’s evolution into a smart toy showcases the team’s commitment to innovation and technological advancement in the realm of children’s toys. We also proved our ability to take over and successfully finish project despite suboptimal hardware selection and constrained time and budget.

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