When the game is turned on it will display a scroll text "CONNECT FOUR", a colorful animation and the replay of the last round.
To start a new round, turn upside down the game to dump the discs. Now the sides have a different color that change slowly, when the first disc is dropped the colors of the sides in that moment are assigned to the two players. From this moment the sides lights up with the color of the player that takes turn.
When four discs are lined up the game will blink them along with the sides lighted with the winner color.
The battery lasts more than 5 hours and can be recharged with a micro USB cable like a mobile phone
Playing this game it may happen that one player drop the disc in a wrong place and regrets his move. If the opponent allow him to do it, he would take out the disc pushing it to the top of the column poking the finger through the holes. The game has two IR sensor for each column and is able to differentiate if a disc is dropped or taken out. The working principle is the same as in a encoder where there are two photointerrupters to detect the rotation direction.
While taking the pictures in a photographic shop I noticed that the sensors do not detect the disc if exposed to extreme intense light, so just avoid using it in a hoghly lighted place, anyway will in direct sunlight is even difficult to see the lights.
Looking great! I like the idea.