High-Level Project Summary
We developed a simulative game that allows the user to play as the Parker Solar Probe on its mission! Raw data from the solar probe is used to generate solar particles containing velocity and temperature, which the player must collect for points. The velocity affects particle speed and the temperature controls particle color. However, particles that hit unshielded parts of the probe will cause damage - so look out! This makes the numerical data collected by the probe easier to visualize for the general population, while having fun at the same time!
Link to Final Project
Link to Project "Demo"
Detailed Project Description
Our project is a simulative game that allows for users to get an idea of the Parker Space Probe's mission and structure. Our program uses the Godot game engine to show 3d models and textures provided from NASA. We hope to spread awareness of the PSP and why it matters. We hope to provide a fully FOSS educational and fun program for anyone to download and enjoy. We made sure to make it free and use a free engine, along with support for Linux, MacOS, and Windows.
Space Agency Data
Our project involved the use of the SWEAP/SPAN-i instrument aboard the Parker solar probe. The data was used to estimate the distribution of velocities and temperatures emitted by the son. This way, the game could be calibrated to show accurate reflections of solar winds. The method used to estimate the parameters was a kernel density estimation.
Hackathon Journey
Our team came together with a diverse skill set and gave us many possibilities for creating our project. Even with some members having no game development experience, we decided to take on the Parker Space Probe challenge. This involved learning how to use the Godot game engine, API calls and data handling skills, and navigating development in a 3D environment. One of the driving factors in choosing this challenge was the fact that we were not familiar with the mission and were surprised to learn how recent its launch was - plus, it is still actively collecting solar data today! We learned a lot about the navigation system of the probe and aimed to simulate the unique navigation system within the game engine. Even when we came across obstacles with the 3D environment or pulling API data, we were able to leverage our diverse skill set and work together as a team to solve the issues.
References
Tags
#game #parkersolarprobe