Going into the third week of work on my project, I feel like I have a good grasp what knowledge I will need to solve the vector-connect problem, as well as the resources (software) required to do so. We have been considering the memory and time efficiency of the algorithm. The main challenge is the time constraint imposed by the mobile platform of the game; because mobile processors aren’t quite as powerful as normal video game processors, the Rockhead team is always thinking about ways to maximize efficiency.
Some of my favorite contributions to the team have been those utilizing my English. When someone on the team is writing code, designing a presentation, or working on the website, and has a question about English, I get to find just the right translation for the idea or situation. Most of the time, it is simply a matter of making the sentence sound more natural.
I’ve been thinking more about adapting the engineering design process into a computer science context. A lot of it comes naturally now after practicing it a few times. One of the steps that I feel translates the best is the step in which one thoroughly understands the problem and its context. I spent the majority of this week researching the problem from different perspectives. I’ve certainly been able to refine my research skills; I made the very frustrating mistake of assuming that no one had tackled the problem in a video game. I researched similar problems in other fields before realizing that there were publications on almost exactly what were looking for.
An example of a bug I found while testing the track.
On Wednesday, I asked Christian (the Rockhead CEO) if I would be able to help with some of the testing that they are doing for the game that they are releasing in the Fall. Without hesitation, he began installing the necessary software on my computer and explaining what I should be looking for in my testing. There are various game features that I have to keep track of, but for the most part testing simply consists of playing the game.
Eduardo’s chimarrão cup and bomba (straw) that were being passed around.
Thursday was a national holiday celebrating Corpus Christi. Allie’s boss kindly invited us to a parrilla-style churrasco at his house with the Toth team. We were treated to exceptional grilled meat and vegetables in addition to great company. One thing that grabbed my attention was the chimarrão, Rio Grande do Sul’s style of maté, that was being passed around; someone would pour hot water over the leaf/grass mixture in the cuia, drink it, and then pass it on to the next person.
It feels like we have been able to fit a whole lot of eye-opening experiences and meet a number of inspiring people in our short time here. I’m very happy with the general direction of the internship thus far. Even after just three weeks, I get excited thinking about the future of iSEED, both as an amazing academic experience and cultural exchange.