Building Truss Grid
Square beams with round holes on all faces, cylindrical male end pegs, and junctions with matching round female openings. Multi-way connectors, elbows, bends and compatible mechanisms.
Boundary Tech Generation / Digital engineering platform
BTG BUILDER
Build. Connect. Program. Operate.
Build more than an image on a screen. BTG Builder is developing an interactive environment where young people assemble engineering kits from individual Building Truss Grid parts, test real connection rules and progress toward programming and operating their own virtual machines.
Engineering development · October 30, 2026. Grid navigation, Return to Crane and source-level world-to-kit selection tests have passed defined local checks. The full C6 assembly, commissioned operating systems and production iOS app remain in development.
The software environment
One workspace for kits, Free Build and engineering projects
BTG Builder is a digital-only learning application. Its core design combines an approved modular component library, manual interactive construction, digital assembly instructions, software-controlled mechanisms and a shared virtual world. The same consistent parts underpin structured kits and the freedom to invent original projects.
Build Kits
Finite inventories, individually identifiable parts, 3D placement and stepwise progress checks. The C6 tower crane is the priority full-machine engineering kit.
Free Build
Create original structures from the same verified library, with connection and clearance rules rather than hidden supports or arbitrary merged parts.
Technology & Robotics
The engineering target extends completed structures with simulated sensors, motors, wiring, logic, remote control and safe operating missions.
What children will learn
A complete digital engineering lifecycle
01Select a kit or Free Build
02Assemble individual parts
03Validate connections
04Install technology
05Commission the system
06Control and program
07Deploy into BTG World
08Use it in the next project
This eight-step workflow is the product's engineering objective. Structural assembly alone does not make a virtual crane, bridge or building fully operational. Connected mechanisms, controls and simulation tests must work before a kit is declared commissioned. The complete lifecycle has not yet passed a production release gate.
Grand Forks / Boundary Country
A navigable construction world built around actual terrain
The active development project uses a Grand Forks-area terrain environment with approximately 7 km of map navigation and remotely selectable construction-grid spaces. The working Return to Crane feature anchors navigation back to the saved C6 camera position.
~7 kmCurrent terrain/world navigation extent tested in Unity Play Mode
14Construction grid-size presets across four intended crane classes
C6 → C120Scalable grid design; larger-class crane operations are not yet qualified
| Crane class | Grid footprint presets (metres) | Implementation boundary |
|---|---|---|
| C6 | 1×1 · 2×2 · 4×4 · 4×8 · 6×6 · 8×8 | Grid selection built; full crane still incomplete |
| C25 | 8×16 · 12×12 · 12×24 · 24×24 | Future crane-class build target |
| C60 | 24×48 · 48×48 | Future crane-class build target |
| C120 | 48×96 · 96×96 | Future crane-class build target |
Map navigation does not prove a crane can lift, transport or place parts across the whole world. Simulated operating ranges and reliable connection placement remain separate engineering gates.
Construction and automation roadmap
From the first C6 crane to a programmed digital town
01 / C6 Tower Crane
Build a source-part lattice with accurate mast, jib, counter-jib, slewing system, trolley, hoist, hook and controls. A 246-part frame pilot exists; the full machine is not yet qualified.
02 / Bridges & Drawbridges
Construct approved trusses and spans; progress toward crane-assisted placement, sensor and traffic programmes, and mechanically supported moving spans.
03 / Houses & Workshops
Develop valid structural kits and, later, program compatible lighting, access, occupancy and other simulated technology.
04 / City & Infrastructure
Plan signals, lights, energy systems, emergency-service buildings and towers. Future elevators and moving machinery must use actual engineered digital components.
Boundary Tech Generation / Four levels
From first connection to programmable construction
| Level | Builder extension | Learning result |
|---|---|---|
| Little Creators · 6–8 | Explore parts, orient a 3D view and connect simple components with visual instructions | Understand a connection and test one action |
| Young Builders · 9–11 | Assemble a small kit, work with Free Build and correct misaligned joints | Explain how a design fits and improves |
| Junior Developers · 12–14 | Investigate moving mechanisms and simulate a sensor-to-action task | Test and debug a controlled system |
| Youth Innovators · 15–17 | Plan finite inventories, component verification, code and commissioning tests | Present a traceable engineering project |
Builder extends the existing youth programme; it does not replace game development, app design, electronics, robotics or other workshops. The activities are proposed and must be qualified in the actual app and facilitator materials.
Evidence-aware product development
What has been demonstrated and what is still being built
Local engineering evidence
Unity Play Mode verification of world-grid navigation and Return to Crane. New source-level world-to-Builder handoff tests: 23/23 passed. Digital kits, parts libraries, desktop UI and a 246-piece crane-frame pilot exist.
Outstanding release gates
Full source-connected C6 assembly, rotating/hoisting and pick/release mechanics, validated assembly-to-commission flow, working multi-kit programmable systems, persistent world operation, revised handoff Play Mode checks and signed iOS testing.
Digital engineering, not real-world structural certification. BTG Builder is educational simulation software. The acceptance requirement is a correct and tested virtual experience, not a certificate authorizing physical construction equipment to lift real loads. Development milestones do not imply an App Store launch or confirmed programme enrolment.