How do you make the complex reality of chips and electronics understandable to the general public? TU/e researcher Elles Raaijmakers believes it can be done with an educational game. Previously, under the TU/e banner, she already sent robust electronics kits to schools and libraries. “The experts of tomorrow are sitting in today's classrooms. That's where I want to reach them.”
“You start out with a factory and customers who all want something different,” Raaijmakers explains of the game. “That includes creating a design, setting up production, and delivering the product. Sometimes the customer is satisfied, but often they want changes at the last minute. Those are not always easy to achieve, just like in real life.”
Under the hood of I.C. Tycoon are actual open-source chip designs from a German branch of the independent chipmaker Global Foundries. The game really teaches players something about how chips work, because although the designs are outdated, the basic principle behind chips remains the same.
Interactive public education
Elles Raaijmakers, specialized in science communication and gamification, wants to use the game to gradually provide insights into the complexity of chip design, as an interactive form of public education. “You have to know so much before you can make a chip. A game makes it possible to deliver that knowledge in digestible pieces. Players can also share and compare their designs, making the learning process more active.”
The name I.C. Tycoon refers to Integrated Circuits. This is the technical term for the piece of semiconductor material (usually silicon) on which an electronic circuit is built — what we usually call a computer chip in practice.