Idea

Electronic Fishing Rod — a playful tool that turns the classic keychain fishing toys into a full interaction: choose a spot → cast → wait → feel the bite → reel → receive a printed "catch".

Inspiration: small electronic fishing toys from the 2000s and the ritual of real fishing. I want a simple, tactile sequence that kids (and adults) can understand instantly, but with a rewarding artifact you can collect and trade.

How it works (v1): The square base unit lets you select a fishing spot with buttons. Its screen shows a calm wave pattern. When the rod is cast (detected by the rod or a button for MVP), the base switches to fishing state and the waves animate. After a random wait, the base signals a bite; the rod vibrates; you reel by turning the rod knob. When enough steady turns are detected, the base shows a success icon and the embedded 58 mm thermal printer outputs a receipt with the fish silhouette, species, size, time, and spot.

Hand sketches of the fishing rod and base idea Idea render / reference 1 Idea render / reference 2 Idea render / reference 3

Weekly Tracking

Week 9 — Output Devices

  • Waterjet/CNC cut a fish-shaped board for the base faceplate.
  • Hooked up buttons + screen and confirmed the UI states: site selection → wave animation → success icon.
  • (Next) connect the 58 mm thermal printer and print a test ticket.
Board layout / faceplate sketch

What I need next

  • Choose the exact embedded 58 mm thermal printer (TTL/ESC-POS) and wire to XIAO ESP32S3.
  • Add a rotary encoder on the rod for reeling and simple vibration feedback.
  • Decide: wired MVP (stable) vs BLE later.