Our design team is redesigning the base beep controller for use in the game of beep 
baseball, a variation of baseball played by the visually impaired. The current version 
of the bases used in tournaments across the country use a controller that is physically 
wired to the bases, activating at random, at the command of a sighted official, one of 
the bases to beep after the ball has been hit. The new controller will communicate with 
the bases through low-power wireless technology, thus reducing the setup time of the 
equipment and reducing the wear and tear on the base/controller system due to physical 
damage of the wiring. 
	The fall, 2007, capstone design team created a prototype wireless controller for 
the inflatable bases they designed, but this device was mechanically unreliable, bulky, 
and packaged in a manner that was difficult to mass produce. Our controller will operate 
in two different modes, one for testing the equipment and another for regular game play. 
In test mode, signals are sent to each base on command. In game mode, the controller 
operator can only issue the command for a random base to start beeping, preventing a bias 
in base selection. The power supply of the controller includes the convenient features of 
an integrated battery charging port and an LED battery status indicator.
	Our team seeks to design a controller that is compact, easy to use, has a long 
battery life, and introduces additional functionality. A key concern for the controller 
is to reduce unit cost and generate a design that meets professional standards for 
aesthetic appearance and reliable, inexpensive manufacture. 


http://www.egr.msu.edu/classes/ece480/goodman/spring/group01