4/20/2026 - Week 4 Gold
- Apr 20
- 4 min read
In the final week of the development cycle, all of our components have entered the wrap-up stage. Last week, the overall framework for learn mode and test mode was already set up. This week, after the test is completed, we designed a grade widget that converts the remaining score after the player finishes all three tests into a letter grade. The various widgets have also been adjusted so that they do not generally appear directly on top of each other, and the default position of the widgets have been adjusted so that it is more within the player’s line of sight. The cutting module, which was mostly implemented last week, mainly underwent debugging and polishing during this week, such as allowing the sliced bread to be placed onto a plate and adding haptic feedback in addition to sound effects when the hand gets cut.
A sealed jar is added to the incorrect options to microwave module. The difficult part for microwave was setting it up to work with both Learn and Test mode. We decided to set up test mode to end after the user microwaves the correct microwavable item (the one that doesn’t cause an explosion) and then closes the microwave. This caused us to set it up so that when the microwave cycle ends we automatically open the microwave in test mode. Also, in Learn mode, a delay for the explanation text that pops up after the explosion was added, which was kind of difficult since the logic for the microwave is all set up in the microwave’s event tick, which means we needed to set up a delay variable and then reset it when it needed to be triggered.
The cooking module is now food-related as well - it’s themed around creating boiled potatoes. In learn mode, the user is prompted through various stages, and it is marked complete when the potatoes are boiled (i.e., they’ve been in the pot for a long enough time when it is at a certain temperature), the lid is off the pot, and neither hand is burnt. The latter required creating some additional variables to track the burnt status of either hand. Additionally, heating is now gradual - if a user touches an object with a temperature aspect, it will not burn them but will create a warning; if they are in test mode, they will only lose a small number of points. Overall, the test and learn mode for this aspect are finished. As well as the addition of the glass jar, the microwave reset also now resets the rotations of the various objects.
Overall, over the past 4 weeks we have developed a kitchen safety VR software with both learn and test modes, focusing on helping children and people with little to no kitchen experience learn and practice safety skills without exposing them to real danger. Among existing VR-based kitchen safety products on the market, ours is unique in its focus on a home kitchen setting and non-professional, everyday users rather than those in the food industry. Our project uses Creative Commons assets, so there’s minimal licensing fees. We also don’t implement multi-player gaming, so our only continuing cost is really software updates (and any hosting fees for a website to sell the product). We’ve proposed a tiered fee system to facilitate profit in different markets.
Each mode of our software contains 3 modules, along with additional interactive components such as an openable window, a kitchen door for exiting the game, and a faucet. The overall design incorporates a wide range of interaction types, including clicking, grabbing, twisting, cutting, washing, and touching. It also features diverse effects to enhance realism: for example, faucet water and stove flames are simulated using Niagara systems, non-microwave-safe items can cause explosions in the microwave module, and when a player’s hand is burned it not only plays sound effects but also visually turns red and requires running water from the faucet to recover. Similarly, accidental cuts trigger both audio and haptic feedback. Traditional 2D software primarily provides feedback through visuals and sound, and user interaction is typically limited to clicks, taps, and simple hand gestures. In contrast, our VR software places the user directly into a 3D environment, where players must physically perform actions such as cutting food, washing at the sink, turning on the stove, and grabbing pots. The system is able to provide real-time guidance based on the user’s physical movements and behavior without exposing them to actual danger. For example, it evaluates the angle at which a user holds a knife while cutting and offers rich feedback accordingly. This level of embodied interaction and spatial awareness are not something a traditional 2D app can replicate.
From a game logic perspective, each module is composed of multiple sub-components with detailed state checking. For instance, the cutting module detects whether the player is cutting on the cutting board, stabilizing the food with the free hand, using a safe cutting angle, accidentally cutting their hand, and whether the cutting board is cleaned afterward. These conditions are handled differently depending on the mode: in learn mode, the system provides instructional feedback, while in test mode, it evaluates player performance through point deductions. The realistic simulations, diverse feedback mechanisms, and interactive elements, combined with engaging game mechanics, we hope to draw users into the experience with curiosity and allow them to come away having learned more about kitchen and cooking safety.