Scouter

Alternatively Eye Spy, iSpy, PicPatrol, CamAgent.

Motivations

Mostly to use machine learning and potentially build or strengthen an image classification model.

It is based on the classic game of “I Spy” and a good way to discover new things about your environment.

It is often played when travelling, perfect for tourist cities.

Something I’d enjoy playing with my niece.

Functionality

Scouter is a turn based game, where one player scouts an object and other players try to guess it based on clues.

Starting a game

Games are geofenced to a general location, a known city or location.

Games have a limited number of allowed objects allowed to scout.

Games also have a duration and an optional player limit.

Find a friend / Closed game

Find another registered user with search or browse.

Optionally enter an email address and a link to the app will be sent with your username and game

Open game

The game will be publicly available and anyone can join.

A game list will show nearby games.

There will always be a default world game that all users are a part of that never expires.

Turns

Players can skip their turn, or a turn can expire.

Players can queue objects for when its their turn to scout.

Find an interesting or unique object in the real world

Take a picture of it and upload it to generate clues about it.

Score will depend on the strength of the clues. The harder to guess, the more points.

Guess spied objects

You can guess spied objects by taking a picture of another real world object and uploading it.

The system will attempt to determine if your guess is correct. If it cannot determine reliably, the scouter may recieve a prompt to verify.

Scoring

The winner is the player with the highest score when the maximum objects to scout is reached.

You gain points for guessing spied objects and for choosing objects nobody guesses.

Clues

Spied objects have several clues available to help you guess.

How many clues you use will affect your score.

Free clues

• Location of object
• Colour of the object

Free clues wont affect your score and are always available

Priced clues

• Sounds like
• Image classification
• Landmark info
• Text
• Shape of object

Priced clues means it will affect your score (maybe a paid feature later)

Priced clues may not always be available

Winning

A game is considered over when:

• the game expires
• the specified number of objects are scouted and guessed or turn expired
• if only one player is left in the game

The player with the highest score at the end wins.

Implementation Notes

Notifications

• When someone guesses your object
• When someone spies an object
• When you are near a spied object
• When someone fails to guess your object
• When its your turn to scout an object
• When a turn expires

UI

• A login screen
• A register screen
• A listing of users with search
• A user details screen with listing of games
• An account page with settings
• A listing of games
• A game details page with a listing of spied objects with a map view
• A nearby spied object dialog
• A guess an object screen/dialog
• A leaderboard of high scores

Services / Libraries

• Firebase machine learning is used for image detection and classification
• Firebase will be used for storage and authentication
• Rhyming dictionary API will be used for classification clues
• Location services used for spied objects and nearby object notifications
• Maps for displaying scouted and guessed objects
• Camera will be used for scouting and guessing objects
• Push notifications will be used for updates

Demo

• start a small game geofenced to a neighborhood
• scout a image
• optionaly leaving/entering the neighborhood for a notification
• have another player make a wrong guess
• repeat with a correct guess
• show notifications on game over
• optionally show machine learning details or logs
• discuss gotchas