Task 5 / Major M1: Simpsons House Smart Home Final Build and Showcase (Student Package)
Assessment details
- Subject: Year 10 Digital Technologies
- Assessment type: major practical project and showcase evidence package
- Weighting: 40%
- Raw mark total: 100 marks
- Current sprint timing: Term 3, Weeks 7-10
- Final submission checkpoint: Term 3 Week 10
- Project repository reference: https://github.com/roanvtkc/simpsons-house
Purpose
This task assesses your ability to complete a working Simpsons House smart home prototype that combines a physical house build, 3D printed design components, installed circuitry, Swift Playgrounds app control, testing, polishing and final explanation.
Your final project should show that you can design, build, test and evaluate a connected digital system. The focus is not just whether the house works once; the focus is whether your build is safe, reliable, documented, tested and understandable to another person.
Current project context
You have already worked through smaller assessment tasks that build toward this major project:
| Earlier task | What it contributed to the major project |
|---|---|
| Task 1 / Minor A1 | UX/UI brief, user needs, prototype thinking and design criteria. |
| Task 2 / Minor A2 | Swift Playgrounds skill-building, app layout, interaction and debugging. |
| Task 3 / Minor A3 | Simpsons House frontend customisation, state-aware interface design and app demonstration. |
You should now be close to completing the physical house. Most students are finishing gluing, installing working circuitry, fitting the 3D designed front door name tag and fitting the garage door. The next required build step is the garage-door opener design and print, followed by final testing, polishing and optional extension circuits.
Task scenario
You are building a smart model house that can be demonstrated to a user. The house should be physically assembled, visually polished and wired safely. The iOS app should control or communicate with the house clearly. Your final evidence should prove that the house was planned, built, tested and improved.
A successful final submission answers these questions:
- What did you build?
- How does the circuitry and app work together?
- What did you design and fabricate yourself?
- What tests prove it works?
- What improvements did you make after testing?
- What would you improve next if you had more time?
Required final deliverables
Submit one organised final package containing:
- Physical house evidence
- photos of the final house from front, side and inside where safe
- evidence of gluing/assembly quality
- evidence that the front door name tag and garage door are installed
- evidence that wiring is organised and safe
- Garage-door opener design evidence
- sketch or CAD screenshot of the opener concept
- screenshot/export of the final 3D design
- photo of the printed part installed or tested
- notes on what changed after testing
- Working circuitry evidence
- labelled photo or diagram of installed components
- evidence of light, front door and garage door behaviour where installed
- brief explanation of inputs, outputs and control signals
- Swift Playgrounds app evidence
- final app screenshots or screen recording
- demonstration of connected/offline state where possible
- demonstration of device controls or simulated controls
- confirmation that unsafe app/control changes were not made
- Final testing evidence
- completed test table with expected vs actual results
- evidence of at least one improvement made after testing
- final known issues or limitations
- Showcase and reflection
- short final demo video or live demonstration
- project reflection against success criteria
- explanation of what you would improve next
Minimum technical requirements
Your final project must show:
- a physical Simpsons House model that is substantially assembled
- installed 3D front door name tag and garage door
- designed and printed garage-door opener component or documented prototype attempt
- installed circuitry with at least one working controlled output
- Swift Playgrounds app evidence connected to the house project
- final testing across hardware, app and physical build
- clear explanation of limitations if any feature is incomplete
Extension circuit option
If your core project is finished early, you may add an extension circuit. Extension circuits can improve your top-band evidence, but they do not replace the required core project.
Approved examples include:
| Extension circuit | Possible evidence |
|---|---|
| Porch light or second room light | extra LED controlled from app or switch, labelled wiring and test result |
| Doorbell buzzer | button or app trigger, safe buzzer wiring and response test |
| RGB status light | different colours for connected, offline or alert states |
| Light sensor | automatic night light or brightness-triggered behaviour |
| Temperature/humidity display | sensor reading shown locally or in project notes |
| Security alert | reed switch, tilt switch or motion-style sensor with visible alert |
Extension circuits must be low-voltage, teacher-approved and documented. Do not use mains power.
Final sprint checkpoints
| Checkpoint | Timing | Evidence required | Teacher focus |
|---|---|---|---|
| Checkpoint 1: House build close-out | Term 3 Week 7 | glued structure, fitted name tag/garage door, wiring plan | physical readiness and safe access for circuitry |
| Checkpoint 2: Garage-door opener prototype | Term 3 Week 8 | sketch/CAD, print attempt, fit test | design iteration and mechanical fit |
| Checkpoint 3: Final system testing | Term 3 Week 9 | test log, debug notes, known issues | working circuitry, app behaviour and safe demonstration |
| Checkpoint 4: Showcase package | Term 3 Week 10 | final photos/video, testing, reflection | complete evidence package and final evaluation |
Safe build expectations
- Keep wires tidy and away from moving doors or sharp edges.
- Disconnect power before changing wiring.
- Ask before changing pins, power supply choices or motor/servo wiring.
- Do not force a 3D printed part if it jams the door or damages the model.
- Do not change MQTT topics, broker details or device action code unless approved.
- If a feature fails, record the fault clearly rather than hiding it.
Final testing template
| Test number | Subsystem | Expected result | Actual result | Pass/fail | Fix or next step |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Physical house structure | House is stable and glued neatly | |||
| 2 | Front door name tag | Name tag is attached and readable | |||
| 3 | Garage door | Door opens/closes by hand without jamming | |||
| 4 | Garage-door opener | Printed opener fits and moves as intended | |||
| 5 | Light circuit | Light turns on/off correctly | |||
| 6 | Front door circuit | Front door movement or output behaves as expected | |||
| 7 | Garage circuit | Garage control behaves as expected | |||
| 8 | App interface | Controls and state messages are readable | |||
| 9 | Full demo | User can understand and operate the system |
Curriculum links
- DS10-1 (WA10DIGDS1): Hardware and software are used to manage, control and secure access to data in networked digital systems.
- DS10-2 (scope/sequence): Hardware specifications affect performance and suitability for a task.
- DI10-2 (WA10DIGDI2): Design and prototype the UX/UI of a digital system based on client needs.
- DI10-3 (WA10DIGDI3): Design and represent logic involving functions and decisions.
- DI10-4 (WA10DIGDI4): Validate programs by comparing output against test cases.
- DI10-5 (WA10DIGDI5): Implement, modify and debug modular programs in a general-purpose programming language.
- ID10-3 (WA10DIGDTID3): Investigate technologies, resources and components with constraints.
- DSN10-1 (WA10DIGDTDE1): Design alternatives considering functionality, accessibility, usability and aesthetics.
- PI10-1 (WA10DIGDTPI1): Select, justify, implement and test technologies, techniques and processes to produce a prototype.
- EV10-1 (WA10DIGDTEV1): Evaluate design processes and solutions against criteria.
- PM10-1 (WA10DIGDTPM1): Manage project work using an agile and organised process.
Marking summary
| Criterion | Marks |
|---|---|
| Physical build, fabrication and finish | 20 |
| Circuit installation and digital system functionality | 20 |
| Garage-door opener design, print and iteration | 15 |
| App integration and state-aware user control | 15 |
| Testing, debugging, safety and polish | 15 |
| Evidence package, showcase and reflection | 15 |
| Total | 100 |
Grade guidance
| Raw mark out of 100 | Percentage | Indicative grade |
|---|---|---|
| 75-100 | 75.00-100.00% | A |
| 65-74 | 65.00-74.99% | B |
| 50-64 | 50.00-64.99% | C |
| 35-49 | 35.00-49.99% | D |
| 1-34 | 0.01-34.99% | E |
| 0 | 0.00% | NA |
Weighted mark conversion
This major project is worth 40% of the course mark.
| Raw mark | Weighted mark |
|---|---|
| 100 | 40.0 |
| 90 | 36.0 |
| 80 | 32.0 |
| 75 | 30.0 |
| 70 | 28.0 |
| 65 | 26.0 |
| 60 | 24.0 |
| 50 | 20.0 |
| 40 | 16.0 |
| 30 | 12.0 |
| 20 | 8.0 |
| 10 | 4.0 |
| 0 | 0.0 |
Submission checklist
- My house is assembled and safe to handle.
- My 3D front door name tag is installed.
- My garage door is installed.
- My garage-door opener design is documented.
- My circuit wiring is labelled or clearly photographed.
- I have evidence of each working output or a clear limitation note.
- I have app screenshots or a screen recording.
- I completed the final testing table.
- I recorded at least one improvement after testing.
- I included final photos or a final demo video.
- I wrote a reflection against the success criteria.