You’ve seen VR headsets and wearable video game controllers and flight yokes and every other type and kind of video game controller, but a crank? Yes, the Arduboy now has a crank modification in tribute to (or blatant ripoff of) the PlayDate, a video game console created by Panic and Teenage Engineering.
The basis for this build is the Arduboy, a miniature game system the size of a credit card. This game console features candy-like buttons, compatibility with the Arduino IDE, and a community that has produced dozens of games already. Where there’s software developers there’s inevitably a few hardware engineers waiting in the wings, and this is no exception. [bateske] created a crank mod for the Arduboy that gives this miniature, toy-like game console a crank. Ready to write a bass fishing simulator? This is your shot.
The hardware for this build consists of a 360° rotary encoder for the internals of the device. For the handle, [bateske] found an interesting ‘premium grinder for herbs and spices’ on Amazon. Shockingly, this crank handle just sort of works with the rotary encoder.
As for games, this is a brand new user interface for the Arduboy game console, so of course there are some interesting possibilities. There’s a fishing simulator that’s more interesting than real fishing and something like Flappy Bird only instead of flapping it’s bouncing over bottomless pits. You can check out this crank console out below.
Maybe there is a game where you need to crank start a Ford Model T.
It needs force feedback for that, for the wrist snapping action.
Or, plays “Pop goes the weasel!”
” There’s a fishing simulator that’s more interesting than real fishing…”
No; just freakin no. Recreational fishing is not supposed to be ‘interesting’. If it is interesting, than something less than good has occurred (such as reeling in a 4m boa constrictor, or a 5m alligator).
I’ve caught some “interesting” fish (and non-fish) over the years, but something tells me that you and I don’t fish the same watering holes…
LOOOOL! Thanks mate! You just made my day! :)
Won’t somebody think of the (left-handed) children?! ;)
Just build one with the crank on the other side.
My first thought was you can charge with it…
me too. works a lot better than the coil full of magnets and shaking it for sure.