Theremin Controlled Mario

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YnZeI8uLJnw]

In the video above, [conquerearth] is using a theremin to control Super Mario Bros. Moving his hand toward and away from the vertical antenna increases the theremin’s pitch. The computer monitors this in real time and moves Mario left and right. The loop antenna controls the theremin’s volume and acts as the jump button. The controls seem to work well, much better than the sound of one man flailing at a theremin.

[via Gizmodo]

24 thoughts on “Theremin Controlled Mario

  1. Nice hack, although it would be even nicer if you could control jumping and shooting seperately, by moving the hand up or down instead of up for both. Maybe it wasn’t sensitive enough for that, or it didn’t have enough range?

  2. Props for having a Theremin project.

    Major bonus props for having a theremin project involving an actual real theremin. That kind of makes it completely unique.

    Nice project.

  3. I dunno. The video looks eerily familiar to the demo that plays before you hit ‘start’. Almost identical. It’s like he memorized the opening demo, and moved his hands in sequence.

  4. Since the left/right reading is a continuum, I’d like to see a version of this that adds the B button with extreme left/right measurements. This would give a sort of variable movement speed similar to an analog stick. Based on Mario’s speed in this video I would guess that actually the B button is permanently pressed, and then released and held again for the fireball/jump. So what about up for jump, down for fireball?

  5. roshamboe,

    I don’t think this would be possible.
    I’m not 100% sure on the rock band pedal, but I know the World Tour pedal uses a piezo, which means each “kick” is sends a single impulse signal, like tapping a button would.
    The rock band pedal, if I remember correctly, is a button, so its possible that it could be wired in as a replacement for the “a” button or something on a traditional controller. As far as for the wii goes, I’d suggest you try something simpler first.

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