Startracks Jogo de Tabuleiro Educativo by Zhejiang University

Startracks Jogo de Tabuleiro Educativo by Zhejiang University is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2023 A' Design Award de Prata in Design de Brinquedos, Jogos e Produtos de Hobby Competition Category.

PrataBrinquedo· 2023

Startracks Jogo de Tabuleiro Educativo

by Zhejiang University

Client: Zhejiang University

A' Design Award de Prata Winner in Brinquedo Category

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Verified Award Winner
Verify Award Status for #149433

View at A' Design Award Press Release Award Badge

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The Design

About Startracks Jogo de Tabuleiro Educativo

Startracks é um jogo de tabuleiro educativo sobre exploração interestelar, concebido para crianças. O jogo ensina noções básicas de astronomia e física através da brincadeira. Ímanes de rubídio colocados sob o tabuleiro simulam a atração gravitacional dos planetas, de modo que uma pequena nave espacial de ferro é atraída para um planeta quando nele pousa. Os jogadores reúnem cartas de recursos que contêm factos astronómicos e as respetivas habilidades de jogo. Duas equipas competem entre si, e a primeira a alcançar o seu objetivo vence. O tabuleiro é feito de madeira sintética e mede 500 milímetros de diâmetro.

The Recognition

About the A' Design Award de Prata

Startracks Jogo de Tabuleiro Educativo conquistou o A' Design Award de Prata, um reconhecimento extraordinariamente prestigiado atribuído a designs de topo de gama, deslumbrantes e impressionantes. Os vencedores da Prata são obras tremendamente brilhantes e extremamente criativas que ilustram a perícia, o talento e a acuidade excecionais dos seus designers. Espera-se que Startracks Jogo de Tabuleiro Educativo seja uma obra maravilhosa e de referência, notavelmente profissional e profundamente inovadora. Este design vencedor do A' Design Award de Prata é uma invenção muito notável e admirada, que beneficia e faz avançar as fronteiras da arte, da ciência, do design e da tecnologia. Startracks Jogo de Tabuleiro Educativo é uma criação imensamente invejada que desperta desejos, traz sentimentos positivos e faz nascer espanto e deslumbramento.

Behind the Design

Press Kit

Credits, team members and technical details provided by the designer.

Unique Properties: This is a board-based matchmaking board game with STEAM properties based on the story of interstellar exploration. The main aim is to educate children in the science of astronomy. The board uses rubidium magnets to mimic the gravitational pull of the planets and the game content is supported by basic knowledge of astronomy. Through the exploration of the planets, children can enlighten their knowledge of astronomy, physics and chemistry.
Dimensions & Packaging: Board: the diameter is 500mm and the thickness is 20mm
Rubidium magnets: the diameter is 25mm and 20mm
Prop card: the lenth is 80mm and the width is 60mm
Tags: Children's educational toys, Astronomy education, Cosmic exploration, Magnetic games, Physics
Production Technology: The launch and landing of the ship is done by the magnetic attraction of the rubidium magnets at the bottom of the board, thus achieving the sensory effect of the planet's gravity. The planetary resources are presented as prop cards with different planetary knowledge content and the corresponding formed functions.
Board material: synthetic wood, rubidium magnets
Board production process: cutting, drilling and grinding on drill presses, board gluing
Prop materials: wood, plastic, iron
Prop production process: hand cutting, 3D printing
Prop card material: coated paper
Prop card production process: colour printing
Design Challenge: How do we make interstellar exploration more intuitive? We made clever use of magnetic fields for analogies to the gravitational magnetic fields of planets, and the game mechanics are two-player versus two-player, with most of the other time spent on two-player versus two-player game mechanics designed to ensure a balanced game.
Research: Type of study: STEAM educational games suitable for the developmental characteristics of children aged 7 to 12 years
Objective: To develop interest in learning astronomy and physics for children aged 7 to 12 years.
Methods: Child development psychology, game design, human-computer analysis, CMF analysis
Data collection: Play preferences of 7 to 12 year olds
Use of research tools: Rhinoceros 3D, KeyShot, Adobe Illustrator, Adobe PhotoShop
Inspiration: STEAM education for children is gaining more and more attention. In the field of science education, the knowledge of the science section of products involving the knowledge of cosmic astronomy is weak and of a single type, which does not allow for systematic science education on astronomy knowledge. At present, there are fewer products in the market that involve knowledge of the cosmic planets and planetary resources, and all of them have weak playability and complicated technology.
Project Duration: The project starts in March 2022 and is due to be completed in June 2022 in Zhejiang, China.
Operation Flow: A team lands by launching a spaceship (iron blob) which is attracted by the gravitational pull of the planet (rubidium magnet magnet). Upon landing on a planet, they receive a prop card for that planet, which is marked with different astronomical and physical knowledge and the corresponding game skills. The game is played on both sides by activating the skills on the cards, and the first one to achieve their goal wins the game.
Team Members: Leijing Zhou
Rui Lei
Yi Chen
Zhengtong Wu
Shaogeng Zeng
Minghong Xu
Yunnong Chen
Image Credits: Rui Lei
Yi Chen
Zhengtong Wu
Shaogeng Zeng