Pickaxe Controller Is Great For Minecraft, Just Aim Carefully

Minecraft started out as a lovable indie game, and became an unstoppable billion-dollar juggernaut in a remarkably quick fashion. Over time, it’s become a favorite among modders and those that seek to explore what’s possible with the game. [Eric] decided that the game could be more immersive, and built this awesome pickaxe controller.

The controller is built around an off-the-shelf Minecraft pickaxe toy; a popular piece of merchandise given the tool’s importance in the game. [Eric] added an Arduino, an accelerometer, and buttons. This lets the controller act as a mouse, allowing the user to control the camera by moving the pickaxe. The buttons unlock further functionality, with the red button allowing the user to mine by swinging the axe. Reportedly this is a lot of fun, albeit tiring in long sessions. Other features are still controlled by the keyboard, such as movement and accessing inventory screens. We’d love to try it out; carving out a tunnel block by block would be quite satisfying after all the exertion!

[Eric] is actually giving the controller away to a lucky subscriber, so head over to the Youtube video if you’d like a shot to own the nifty pickaxe. We’ve seen other advanced Minecraft controllers before, too. Video after the break.

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