Week 11 – Trials, Tests & Eid Break Productivity 🎯

This week, we didn’t have any scheduled lectures as it was the Eid holidays — so first, Eid Mubarak to everyone who celebrated! 🎉 The break gave me a much-needed breather and some dedicated time to focus on polishing my project deliverables.

First Half: Literature Review & Engineering Analysis Locked In

During the first half of the week, I focused heavily on my final report, particularly solidifying the Literature Review and Engineering Analysis chapters. I revised my citations, cross-checked sources, and ensured both chapters aligned with the system architecture and development work I’ve done so far. Having this portion of the report finalized has been a big relief and gives me a solid foundation to move forward.

Second Half: Real-World User Trials Begin!

Once I was back on campus, I immediately moved into one of the most exciting (and slightly nerve-wracking) phases of the project: User Trials and System Testing. Since I had already completed unit, integration, and functionality testing through the development stages of the project, it was time to test iCue in a real-world environment — the billiards room.

Day 1: Kick-off & Setback

On the first day of testing, I had around 10 users, including Dr. Judhi himself, try out the iCue system. The feedback was fantastic, and everything was going smoothly… until the 3D-printed mount accidentally fell and broke mid-session 😅. But no panic — I rushed to the RoboTechX lab, re-printed a new mount, and had it ready by the next morning.

Day 2: Mount V2 & More Testers

With the newly printed mount securely attached, I returned to the billiards room and continued the user trials. This time, I had 15 additional testers, all of whom provided insightful feedback and helped stress-test the system under various shot styles and player skill levels.

📊 User Trial Highlights

Here are some of the key findings from the user testing:

• Ease of Use: 92% of testers said the system was “very easy to use” and praised the simplicity of the UI.

• Shot Analysis Accuracy: 90% of users felt that the real-time feedback was smooth and aligned with their actual shots, although a few noted slight inconsistencies during very fast strokes.

• Training Value: The personalized coaching recommendations were a big hit! Most testers mentioned they would definitely use the system regularly for practice.

💡 Suggestions for Improvement

Some excellent ideas came out of these sessions too, which I’ll be noting for future development:

• Reduce the device size for better portability.

• Add automatic foul detection and ball tracking.

• Integrate start/stop detection with ball potting.

• Introduce an online leaderboard or ranking system.

• Include tutorial-style guidance based on shot history.

Reflection

This week has been one of the most productive so far. From academic writing to real-life feedback, everything felt like it came together. Seeing people genuinely enjoying iCue and giving constructive suggestions has made the months of development totally worth it. Now that the system and acceptance testing is complete, the next step is to incorporate what I can from the feedback, and power through to the final stages! 💪

Our team was also gearing up for the Emirates Robotics Competition Finals next week. The progress and preparation look pretty decent, and we are confident that we will perform great next week. Hoping for the best! 🤞