MakeyMakey Board
Hole Punch
Game Setup
In Action
Build
Diagram
Diagram
Spray
Build some kind of interactive entertainment with a ‘Makey Makey’ board, for the digital fete at VCCP. Makey Makey uses simple circuitry and keyboard inputs to create entertaining games out of everyday objects which conduct an electrical signal.makeymakey
Within our first brainstorming session we came up 2 awesome ideas Real life Operation or, a real life Mario game based on the orginal 80’s veriosn. Both ideas would require physical builds a little HTML magic. After much heated debate and beer drinking we went with ‘Mario'.
The Mario game would require 3 controls. Left, Right and Jump, and like most ‘Makey Makey’ games the user is required to hold the earth cable to complete the circuit.
We discovered by trial and error that people didn’t like holding a cable with a live current. So Nate(thats me), created a prototype trigger to test an alternative functionality. Introducing the holypunch-2p. A simple trigger that allowed us to gage peoples reaction when playing the game – where reaction time is key.
With most games the analog control stick responses quickly to users input. However, the holypunch-2p control had a small delay, it was interesting to learn how users adapted to the feedback delay… We used a game called Canabalt Run for the test. It went down a storm, users got all competitive, challenging each other to rematches – Holypunch-2p was the proof that a phygital game would be fun. Now we just needed to scale up the idea and what better way, than the health and safety ‘excitement’ of bouncing on a trampoline in the office, under the influence of beer?
Mapping how to build the game, with a trampoline was easy… building it was another matter.
Problem one. How do you attach the earth to a trampoline without is coming off as people bounce up and down?
After some trial and error, I attached the cables to trampoline by suspending them with rubber bands, held in place with one a dog chew toy… Obvious really, it allowed for free movement of the cable when connected to the element on the floor.
Next the triggers for moving Jumping Jonny Left and Right. This was more tricky, we tested 2 of the prototype hole punches. However, the odd electrical shock would send our gaming guinea pigs into a fit.
Spray bottles use a simple trigger, which with some shed style tinkering with; cables, crocodile clips, foil and copper coins (see above) a great controller could be made.
With the game controls complete… it was time to test it all. Test threw up some problems. The copper coin wasn’t robust enough for more vigorous users, slipping off the contact point. A simple change for wrapped foil nailed it. The trampoline proved to be a better conductor than expected, the current flowing through trampoline caused Jumping Jonny to jump before the used had… Adding some rubber gloves for the backing for the connectors and Jumping Jonny started to bounce on command.
Coins collected: 782, Jumps: 5782, Games played: 50, Pixels used: 307,200, Highest Jump: 4 feet, Winners: 2, Cheaters: 1,