Assistive Game Controller - Joystick and Foot Pedals

This controller combines a user-friendly joystick and simple-to-use foot pedals to make a six-button adaptive game controller! All buttons can be easily remapped, so it is fully customizable to the game and user. It is made with relatively simple materials and uses the power of a makey-makey to make gaming more accessible. The foot pedals can also easily be used as hand buttons, and are quite reliable. Hopefully, this controller will lead to lots of fun!

For The Build: (ps. lots of these items can be found in a dollar store!)

1. Foam Core - here
2. Exacto Knife - here
3. Glue Gun & Glue Sticks - here
4. A Ruler - here
5. Some Springs - here
6. A Doorstop - here
7. Scissors - here

For The Wiring:

1. Alligator Clips - here
2. Copper Wire - here
3. Copper Tape - here
4. Wire Strippers - here
5. A MakeyMakey - here

3D Printed Components:

In order to use the doorstop as a joystick, you must first modify it to fit in the base.

1. Using the bottom of your doorstop as a guide, mark a circle around a piece of foam core
2. Cut out the circle, remove both layers of paper, and attach it to the bottom of the doorstop as seen in the picture above
3. Wrap a 1 inch piece of copper tape around the top of the joystick, so that it can work as a button activator

Next, we will put together the base of the joystick

1. Use an exact knife to cut out two 3x3 inch squares out of foam core
2. Cover one with copper or aluminum tape, leaving a little overhang to later connect an alligator clip to (shown above)
3. Glue the two squares together, with the tape-covered one on top, and then glue the connected squares to the 3D printed base (shown above)

Next, we must add the wiring to the joystick base

1. Using the wire strippers, cut off one of the ends of the alligator clips, and strip1.5 inches of wire off
2. Feed that wire through the holes in the sides of the joystick base, and using copper or aluminum tape, attatch them to the center of the walls on that side. Repeat for all four sides
3. Using more copper or aluminum tape, put a strip of tape on the top of the joystick wall so the joystick can hit a larger area of the wall. Repeat for all 4 sides
4. Manage the wires through the hole in the front of the joystick base, and add a wire connected to the piece of foam core covered in aluminum or copper tape that you created in Step 2 to act as ground
5. Label the wires as up, down, left, right, and ground. Put aside for later

Next we need to make the foot pedals!

1. Using an exact knife, cut out a 7x14 inch rectangle out of foam core (not cardboard as shown above)
2. Then, cut out two 3.75x3 inch rectangles to act as the foot pedals.
3. Add copper or aluminum tape, wrap the tape around each end of the floor pedal, making sure there is tape on the top and bottom of the pedal
4. Add tape in the center of the base, underneath the foot pedals. Add two more squares on the base by the edge of the foot pedals (shown above)
5. Add one more strip of tape to bridge the connection on the top of the foot pedals.

Next we will add springs to the foot pedals

1. Using wire strippers or scissors, cut the springs down to size to be 0.5 inches tall
2. Use hot glue to glue the foot pedals to the base

Now we do the wiring!

1. Using 3 alligator clips, attach them to the three pieces of copper tape attached to the base
2. Glue down the 3D-printed cable management piece to the base, and run your alligator clips through it.
3. Label the wires, and add extensions to the alligator using the copper wire.

Last step!

1. Connect the foot pedal wires to the back of the makey-makey, putting each wire into the 'a' and 'd' slots respectively, and the ground slot aswell
2. Use the alligator clips connected to the joystick to attach the wires to the joypad, adding the ground as well, and enjoy!

If needed, you can remap the makey-makey here