Focus Track
Game Dev, Robotics & Embedded
Three connected tracks for Stellenbosch builders: immersive games, autonomous robots, and resilient embedded devices serving South African needs.
Game Development
- •Engines: Unity, Unreal, Godot; art via Blender and texture tools.
- •Languages: C#, C++, GDScript; focus on performance and gameplay loops.
- •SA scene: indie studios, educational games, local storytelling; game jams on campus.
- •Pipelines: version control, scene prefabs, lighting basics, build automation.
Robotics
- •Platforms: ROS2, simulation first (Gazebo/Ignition), then hardware.
- •Hardware: depth cameras, LiDAR, motor controllers; test in contained areas.
- •SA context: agriculture drones, warehouse movers, mining automation pilots.
- •Skills: localization, mapping, navigation stacks, safety stops and watchdogs.
Embedded Systems
- •MCUs: Arduino, ESP32, Raspberry Pi; toolchains with PlatformIO.
- •Electronics: KiCad for PCBs, basic sensors/actuators, power budgets.
- •Connectivity: Wi‑Fi, BLE, LoRa for campus-scale sensing.
- •SA context: smart metering, cold-chain monitors, remote irrigation nodes.
Tools & Practices
Engines & Art: Unity, Unreal, Godot, Blender.
Tooling: PlatformIO, KiCad, ROS2 build tools, CI for firmware.
Domains: warehouse robotics, agriculture drones, mining inspection.
Testing: simulation first, hardware-in-loop, regression on maps/worlds.
Comm: MQTT, REST/gRPC backends, OTA updates with rollbacks.
Hardware Safety
- • Batteries: use proper chargers, fire-safe storage, no unattended charging.
- • Soldering and tools: ventilation, eye protection, tidy benches.
- • Lab rules: no radio tests without clearance; keep logs of firmware flashes.
- • Mechanical: emergency stops, kill-switches, supervised tests only.
SA Examples
- • Mining: inspection rovers and sensor nodes for safety monitoring.
- • Agriculture: drones for crop scouting; soil moisture nodes for irrigation.
- • Warehousing: AMRs for shelf moves; barcode scanning with vision.
- • Indie games: local history, languages, and art for SA audiences.