Miss Parrot App

:video_game: Activity Time!

:alarm_clock: Time needed: 30-35 minutes

What you'll do:

Create a fun talking parrot app where Miss Parrot responds to your touch, reads your messages, and even complains when you shake your phone! You'll use text-to-speech technology to bring Miss Parrot to life with her own sassy personality! :emoji:

Before You Start:

• Watch the demo video below
• Have MIT App Inventor open
• Think about funny things a parrot might say
• Get ready to make Miss Parrot talk!

App Overview & Sample User Interface

:emoji: Please watch this video to see how Miss Parrot works:

Video

:emoji: The sample UI of the app:

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Let's Build Miss Parrot!

Time to make Miss Parrot come alive! She's a chatty bird who loves to talk back, read your messages, and has opinions about everything!

Step One: Set Up Your App

1. Create a new project in MIT App Inventor
2. Name it "MissParrot" (no spaces!)
3. Upload or find a parrot image for your app

:bulb: "Finding Images"

Look for a colorful parrot image! You can search for "cartoon parrot" in Google Images. Make sure to choose one that's not too big (under 1MB works best).

Step 2: Design Your Screen

Add these components to your app:

1. Image component - This will be Miss Parrot!

   • Set the Picture property to your parrot image
   • Make it a good size (not too big, not too small)

2. TextBox component - Where users type messages

   • Set the Hint to "Type something for me to say!"
   • Make it wide enough for typing

3. Button component - To make Miss Parrot talk

   • Change the Text to "Make Me Talk! :emoji:️"
   • Pick a fun color!

Step 3: Add the Non-Visible Components

From the palette, add:

• TextToSpeech component (find it in Media)
• AccelerometerSensor component (find it in Sensors)

:bulb: "Can't Find Components?"

Use the search box at the top of the Palette! Just type "TextToSpeech" or "Accelerometer" and they'll appear!

Step 4: Program Miss Parrot's Responses

Now for the fun part - making Miss Parrot talk! Here's what to program:

A. Empty Textbox Response

When someone clicks the button but hasn't typed anything, Miss Parrot gets sassy!

Create a list of funny responses like:

• "Hello? Anyone there? The textbox is empty!"
• "Are you kidding me? I see nothing to read!"
• "Type something first, silly human!"
• "I'm a parrot, not a mind reader!"

B. Reading Text

When there IS text in the textbox, Miss Parrot reads it out loud!

C. Long Press Response

When someone presses and holds on Miss Parrot's image:

Create another list of responses like:

• "Ouch! Be gentle with the birdie!"
• "Hey! That tickles!"
• "Easy there, I'm delicate!"
• "Do you squeeze all your friends like this?"

D. Shake Detection

When someone shakes their phone:

Make Miss Parrot say things like:

• "Whoa! Stop shaking me! I'm getting dizzy!"
• "Is this an earthquake or are you just happy to see me?"
• "I'm a parrot, not a maraca!"
• "Help! Everything is spinning!"

Step 5: Programming Tips

Here's how to code each feature:

:bulb: "Stuck on Random Responses?"

1. Create a list variable called "emptyResponses"
2. Add all your funny responses to the list
3. Use the "pick random item from list" block to choose one
4. Have TextToSpeech speak the random response!

For the Button Click:

• Use an if-then-else block
• Check if TextBox.Text is empty ("")
• If empty: pick a random sassy response
• If not empty: speak the TextBox.Text

For Long Press:

• Use the Image.LongClick event
• Pick a random response from your "touchResponses" list
• Make Miss Parrot speak it!

For Shake Detection:

• Use the AccelerometerSensor.Shaking event
• Pick a random dizzy response
• Don't forget to test this on a real phone!

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:trophy: Challenge Yourself!

Once your basic app is working, try these challenges:

Challenge One: Voice Changer

Can you change Miss Parrot's voice? Try adjusting:

• Pitch - Make her sound higher or lower
• Speech Rate - Make her talk faster or slower

Challenge 2: Mood System

Give Miss Parrot different moods!

• Happy responses (when you're nice)
• Grumpy responses (when you shake too much)
• Excited responses (when you type certain words)

Challenge 3: Memory Feature

Make Miss Parrot remember things!

• Store the last thing she said
• Have her comment on repeated shaking
• Count how many times she's been poked

Challenge 4: Visual Feedback

Add animations or changes:

• Change Miss Parrot's image when shaken
• Add a speech bubble that appears when talking
• Make the background change colors with her mood

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Testing Your App

Before submitting, make sure to test:

:white_check_mark: Button Test:

• Click with empty textbox - Does she complain?
• Type something and click - Does she read it?

:white_check_mark: Touch Test:

• Long press on Miss Parrot - Does she react?
• Try different press durations

:white_check_mark: Shake Test:

• Shake your phone gently - Does she notice?
• Try different shake intensities

:white_check_mark: Voice Test:

• Is the voice clear and understandable?
• Do all responses play completely?

:bulb: "Testing on Computer?"

The shake feature only works on real phones! Use the MIT AI2 Companion app to test on your device.

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Technical Checklist

Make sure your app includes all these components:

Visible Components:

:white_check_mark: Image (Miss Parrot) :white_check_mark: TextBox (for user input) :white_check_mark: Button (to trigger speech) :white_check_mark: Labels (optional - for decoration)

Non-Visible Components:

:white_check_mark: TextToSpeech :white_check_mark: AccelerometerSensor

Programming Features:

:white_check_mark: If-then-else for empty textbox checking :white_check_mark: Lists for storing responses :white_check_mark: Random selection from lists :white_check_mark: Event handlers for:

• Button.Click
• Image.LongClick
• AccelerometerSensor.Shaking :white_check_mark: TextToSpeech.Speak commands

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Submit Your Miss Parrot App!

Great job creating Miss Parrot! She's ready to chat, complain, and entertain!

Before You Submit:

• Test all 4 interactions work properly
• Make sure Miss Parrot has personality in her responses
• Check that your app doesn't crash
• Give Miss Parrot at least 3-4 different responses for each interaction
• Test on a real phone if possible (especially for shake feature)

Submit Your Miss Parrot App Here

What Makes a Great Miss Parrot App?

⭐ Personality - Your parrot has a unique, fun character ⭐ Variety - Multiple different responses for each interaction ⭐ Creativity - Funny, surprising, or clever responses ⭐ Polish - Nice design and smooth interactions ⭐ Bug-free - Everything works without crashing

Keep making awesome apps! Miss Parrot is proud of you! :emoji::sparkles: