Project description: 

It is a plush bunny hat, containing 4 separate handmade buttons and sensors hidden under the hat, that’d correspond to directions up, down, left and right. It comes with moveable ears, when the ends of the arms are pressed. 

Two soft buttons: one on the forehead and one on the back. Two pressure sensors on both ends of the arms, to emulate the movement of ears and directions left and right.  

By a smack on the forehead, the “up” button is triggered; by a smack on the back of the wearer’s head, the “down” button is triggered. The two arms extended, locates two pressure sensors on both ends. With a simple squeeze, the “left” or “right” key will be triggered, as well as the corresponding ear will move up along with the pressure.  

The wearer will be able to control keys within the reach of their hands, and its convenient form as a hat to move around without much restrictions.  

Final photos: 

Video of Pong: 

https://clipchamp.com/watch/5GEjaQKeIF9

Material list	Conductive thread Conductive fabric Velostat  1K resistors x2 CPX Felt (dark gray) Two colours of sewing thread The fluffy plush hat
Parts list	2 pressure sensors 2 soft digital buttons Main panel (for all the conductive thread connections) Connection track (for left and right) *extending off both arms

Circuit diagram 

Link to code on github:  

https://github.com/empha713/rabbit-gamecontroller.git

Relevant project/resources: 

The embroidered conductive thread design acts as a digital switch when the finger meets any two connection points. This is the same concept as a digital soft button, where a connection is made through the contact of a conductive material.

 

Process photos: 

Next steps: 

If given the opportunity, I would try to make another version of a game controller, with the feature of tilting sensors. The design would consist of a box shaped as a plus sign. The tilting sensor ball will start from the center of the box, and depending on which direction the box is tilted towards, the ball will move to the corresponding direction, hitting the connection point and triggering a key play. The box can be worn either above the head, on your arms, or any other way possible. Another version would be from the inspiration of a marble maze, where you move a small marble around an enclosed maze in a clear container. Connections can be made through the conductive metal ball moving through various points in an enclosed box, triggering corresponding keys.