Students will engage in an Interactive Light Maze launch experience and begin empathizing with real users who are affected by lighting challenges. Through observation, guided interviews, and empathy mapping, they will gather authentic user insights to inform later circuit and Smart Streetlight System designs.

Students will synthesize user research from the Interactive Light Maze launch into a clear, human-centered problem statement that defines criteria and constraints for their Smart Streetlight System design.

Students will generate a wide range of possible Smart Streetlight and Interactive Light Maze solutions based on their user research, then narrow ideas using clear criteria and constraints to select one concept to prototype next phase.

Students will build and refine a functional Smart Streetlight Interactive Maze prototype using ESP32, variable resistors, and photoresistors. They will wire circuits, program analog input with mapping, test responsiveness under real conditions, gather structured peer feedback, document iteration data, and revise their designs in preparation for user testing in the next phase.

Students will validate their Smart Streetlight Interactive Maze prototypes with authentic users, refine their solutions based on feedback, and present their engineering decisions and iteration evidence to stakeholders as a formal milestone assessment.

Students will reconnect with real users to deepen empathy for how light-responsive systems impact safety, energy use, and daily life. Through structured interviews, empathy mapping, and peer critique, they will gather new user insights to inform the next iteration of their Smart Streetlight Interactive Maze design.

Students will synthesize user interview data and technical research into a clear, human-centered problem statement for their Smart Streetlight Interactive Maze, translating empathy findings into measurable design criteria and constraints.

Students will generate and refine multiple solution ideas for their Interactive Light Maze and Smart Streetlight System, using user research insights, circuit knowledge, and structured feedback to move from divergent brainstorming to a clearly justified design concept.

Students will build and refine a functional prototype of their Interactive Light Maze integrated with a Smart Streetlight System. They will apply analog input reading, mapping, and conditional logic to construct a testable ESP32-based circuit, document iteration cycles, and revise their design based on structured peer feedback before moving to user testing in the next phase.

Students will validate their Smart Streetlight Interactive Maze prototypes with authentic users, refine their communication, and present their final designs at the Illuminated Exploration Fair. They will demonstrate how variable resistors and photoresistors optimize LED responses, document iteration evidence, and articulate the human-centered impact of their solutions.