Where duty becomes a game
.Work to .Fun Converter
Synthie is a digital motivational tool created to bridge family conflicts surrounding daily tasks and learning. The device transforms these duties into a game by caring for a virtual pet, Sparkie, who provides instant feedback and credit-based rewards to encourage children towards responsibility.
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Our Challenge
Children are often enthusiastic and creative, but when it comes to everyday tasks (tidying up, homework), conflicts often arise. Parents get stuck in the role of the "constant reminder". Digital games provide instant feedback, but real-life chores don't. This gap leads to frustration, especially for children with ADHD or autism who need more structure.
Our Idea: Sparkie the Crocodile
We designed a digital pet, Sparkie, that requires care from its owner. To feed it and give it water, the child needs to use credits earned from their parents.
Credits are earned from parents by completing chores, doing homework, or getting good grades. If the child doesn't take care of it, Sparkie's life is at risk, teaching responsibility and motivation.
Who Is Synthie For?
Synthie is designed for any family looking to bring positive, playful structure to daily routines. We built it especially for:
Primary School Students
Ages 6-12, who respond best to immediate, tangible rewards rather than abstract long-term goals.
Neurodiverse Children
Children with ADHD or autism who thrive with clear structure, visual feedback, and predictable routines.
"No-Phone" Families
Parents who want a motivational tool without giving young children a smartphone, reducing screen time.
Key Features
Synthie is an ESP32-based device, packed with useful software and hardware solutions to support children and parents.
"Live" Features
Sparkie has 3 lives. If hunger or thirst drops to zero, it loses a life, teaching responsibility.
AI Tidiness Check
An optional camera (SparkieCam) uses AI to analyze a room's tidiness and suggest credits.
Downtime Mode
Parents can set "Downtime" (e.g., 10 PM - 8 AM) when Sparkie's live functions are paused.
Streak System
Motivates kids by tracking their "streak" of days keeping Sparkie alive, viewable on the device.
Shop & Inventory
Kids use earned credits to buy food, drinks, and cosmetics from a simple game-like menu.
Power Saving
Long-pressing the MENU button puts the device into ESP 'light sleep' mode to save battery.
Audio Feedback
An integrated speaker provides audio cues for events like startup, game over, and purchases.
Haptic Feedback
A vibration motor gives physical feedback for key moments like losing a life or using an item.
Comprehensive Parental Controls
Parents can manage the child's device via a dedicated, password-protected website on the same network.
- View Sparklie's well-being status.
- Easily add or subtract credits.
- Tidnes chek via SparkieCam.
- Set 'Downtime' periods (e.g., 10 PM to 8 AM).
- Manage the device's network name and password.
About Us!
We are SyntaxErr0r, a team from Pólya György Elementary School in Tatabánya, Hungary. Our story began in the school's informatics club, where Dávid and Levi started working together. Our coach, Papp Julianna, got us started in the WRO competition after we learned about it at Edutus University. Later, Szonja, the team's designer, joined us.
Our project, Synthie, has undergone massive development during the competition. We received positive jury feedback at both the regional round in Kecskemét and the national round in Győr. Our hardware evolved from a temporary breadboard and a soldered prototype to its final, custom-printed circuit board.
As a result of our hard work, on June 28, 2025, we won the WRO Hungarian national final in the Future Innovators Junior category. With this achievement, we qualified for the world championship held in Singapore.
Support Our Team via PayPal.me!Dávid
Hardware Developer
A true Arduino fanatic, he was responsible for building the electronics and hardware part.
Levi
Software Developer
Loves to code and play with electronic devices, he was responsible for the software part.
Szonja
Designer
Responsible for the design. Thanks to her, Sparkie became a real, lovable character!
Julcsi
Coach
Our Coach who guided us throughout the competition series and supported us in everything to achieve the best possible result.
