Project Description

General Concept

I took an unconventional and quirky approach to designing a game controller. Since most game controllers are hand-held, I wanted to make something that could possibly be used by body parts other than hands/fingers.

The basic interaction for using the controller requires the user to bob their head to the front, back, or the left and right sides to allow movement in the respective directions. The goal was to make something that was fun and purposefully hard to use. I was also interested in seeing how the experience would be affected given that we usually keep our heads stationary in order to look at the screen.

The controller is a hat with a metal ball suspended from the top. It uses 4 digital switches to allow up, down, left and right arrow button presses. These buttons are made up of patches of conductive fabric with flexible magnets sewn behind them. These conductive fabric patches are connected to the microcontroller pins using conductive thread. The button activation happens when a conductive metal bead (connected to the microcontroller’s ground pin) comes close to the patch, gets attracted by the gentle magnetic pull and closes the circuit.

In Use

Playtesting

The video below shows the controller being used to play Pong with a friend.

Thoughts and Observations

You can probably observe that the controller isn’t very easy to use. In the latter part of the video above you can see that I use the controller with my hand and it works perfectly fine. This is not due to the code or the hardware (I checked all the connections for breaks and short circuits as well as the USB cable at the back). The interaction itself is:

1. Slow, since the ball takes time to travel from whichever position its in to hit the conductive patch
2. Imprecise, since hands and fingers are much better than heads at very fine motion and feedback. I would think the ball is hitting the front or back patches, but it wasn’t always
3. Unreliable, because fingers are quick enough to press keys when needed as well as hovering over them when not but still ready and primed to do so. Besides getting the on-screen element to move when needed, it was also difficult to get it stop moving when not needed: the fine balance was to have patches that were large enough to enable movement when desired and small enough to not have movement when not desired.

The Process

Parts and Materials

I used the following parts and materials for testing and prototyping:

• Alligator Clips
• Aluminium Foil
• Ballpoint Pins

I used the aluminium foil for the contact points on the beanie. I also connected a portion of the aluminium foil to one end of an alligator clip and formed a ball around it. This worked great for testing the code and the basic concept, however I learned that:

1. The aluminium foil was too light to provide consistent feedback and for the user to know whether it had touched a contact point.
2. The aluminium foil being too light and the alligator clip wire not being flexible enough caused reliability issues with making contact and closing the circuit. Sometimes the foil and patch would touch and sometimes they wouldn’t.
3. The aluminium foil and alligator clips did not make durable, robust connections. The foil would peel or tear and the alligator clips would snap off.

These issues led me to replace these materials with conductive fabric and thread respectively for the final design.

For my final design I used:

• An Old Beanie
• Conductive Fabric (4 pcs each of 3″ x 1″ and 3″ x 3″)
• Steel Conductive Thread
• Sewing Thread
• Sewing Needles
• Safety Pins
• Hollow Conductive Metal Ball
• Leather twine for Braiding (paracord works too)
• Fabric Scraps for reinforcing the ball and braids
• Flexible magnets (I used 12 circles, depends on their size and strength)
• Microcontroller (Circuit Playground Express, in this case)
• USB Cable (make sure its long and passes data, not just power)

Circuit Diagram

And the circuit that made it all happen is shown below. I use a seemingly random set of pins on the CPX, but they were chosen so as to be far apart enough to minimise shorts and also so that their orientation led up to the directions of the switches themselves.

The CPX was sewn on the inside rather than the outside to prevent the swinging metal ball smashing into it. This was an aesthetic decision as well since I generally didn’t want it to be visible. I also sewed the USB cable into the hat itself to make the connection more reliable.

The Code

The code is mostly the stock code shared in the class. I changed the pins to suit my needs but also added a few other small things:

1. In order to playtest with the Ketris game (which was more suited to single rather than a continuous stream of key presses) I modified the code as a separate version so that every new key press would only be registered when the player lifted the ball up and hit the patch again
2. I added a line of code at the very end of the loop so that the serial printed a blank line. This ‘refreshed’ the serial monitor any time I was not pressing a key and helped a lot with playtesting and troubleshooting.

Continuous Key Presses Code

Discrete Key Presses Code

Project Context and Inspiration

My Project is inspired by and related to the following artistic works, projects and prototypes:

Olivia Prior’s Circular Rotating Switch

I came across this rotating soft switch during Olivia Prior’s Advanced Wearables Guest Lecture. I already knew that I wanted to make something unconventional, but when I saw this, it made a lightbulb go off in my brain. Besides being a very interesting movement to begin with, it was cute and quirky. I considered using this type of switch in a glove format the way that its shown being used in the video above, but I felt that it wasn’t quirky or original enough and would be too ‘easy’ or familiar for a player.

The fundamental concept is quite similar to my final design: four digital switches connected to a common ground that rotates to complete the circuit. The challenge, however, was to adapt it to the format of some sort of headgear.

The central string-and-bead format in the middle was particularly fascinating to me. I found its execution to be very skilfully done. If I hadn’t seen this, it never would’ve occurred to me that metal beads could be conductive. I went off searching to Michaels for a heavier bead/ball (initially planning only to add more weight to the end of the bobber and then covering it with foil) and to my utter surprise found a metal ball that was actually conductive. If I hadn’t seen Olivia’s controller, I probably would’ve used a wooden ball with foil wrapped around it – which seems easy in principle, but I’m sure would have led to other problems and usability issues.

I would’ve liked to make my design more easygoing the way Olivia’s is, though. By this I mean that her design can be used in a more smooth motion by tilting the controller rather than the ‘flicking’ motion in mine. This would, of course, lead to a new set of problems where going from, say, Up to Down you’d brush past either the Left or the Right controls. This wouldn’t necessarily be a problem with a game like Pong (especially if you disabled the two interfering buttons using code) but would have presented a challenge with a game like Ketris where all four would be needed and hitting one accidentally would result in an unintentional action. It would also probably be difficult to stop the middle rotator where needed to trigger successive key presses. It would sure have resulted in less neck strain, though.

Carson Kompon’s Head Game Controller

I found this interesting DIY game controller by YouTuber Carson Kompon. His interaction is quite similar to mine, however he uses an accelerometer in combination with the microcontroller (a Teensy in this case) to track the head movements.

He is using the x and y rotations and mapping them to front/back and right/left movements. In order to not have the game controller react to every tiny physical movement away from the zero position, he does program in some ‘dead zones’ close to the centre within which the controller does nothing – an idea based on how real joysticks in commercial game controllers work. 

This results in an extremely responsive controller that turns your head into basically a joystick (thus the hilarious video thumbnail). His controller is also somewhat difficult to use, but I’m sure that can be remedied by fine-tuning the thresholds and mapping of the accelerometer.

I would’ve loved to have used more of this type of a tracking mechanism to offer finer control over games, but using anything other than physical digital and analog switches was not allowed for this exercise. Regardless, it was still a great source of inspirations and his idea about using a rigid baseball cap was interesting. The design itself gave me food for thought about what sorts of things to be aware of regarding a head controller and what problems I might run into regarding the interaction itself. I can probably make a similar prototype independent of this exercise and compare its performance to my current design.

The Propellerhead Beanie

Part of what I had in mind while designing the Beanie Bobber, however subconscious it may have been, was this propeller hat. I didn’t even know what it was called at first – thinking it was a “helicopter hat” or something. Further inspection into the matter revealed that it has a fascinating history.

The propeller beanie, originally “helicopter beanie”, is the universal symbol of a fan ⁴. It is generally accepted to have been first improvised in Cadillac, Michigan, using a beanie (a visorless cap) in 1947, made by Ray Faraday Nelson. It quickly became an icon for science fiction fans to identify themselves, and a national fad. ⁵

In a published interview, Nelson described how “In the summer of 1947, I was holding a regional science fiction convention in my front room and it culminated with myself and some Michigan fans dressing up in some improvised costumes to take joke photographs, simulating the covers of science fiction magazines. The headgear which I designed for the space hero was the first propeller beanie. It was made out of pieces of plastic, bit of coat-hanger wire, some beads, a propeller from a model airplane, and staples to hold it together.” ⁶ Shortly thereafter, it was worn by George Young of Detroit at a Worldcon in Toronto, where it was an enormous hit.

Nelson visited relatives in California around that time and won a contest with a design of a character wearing a propeller beanie. That was the origin of Bob Clampett’s “Time for Beany” (with voices by Stan Freberg and Daws Butler). It was hugely popular with children, and even some adults (including Albert Einstein, according to a Stan Freeberg reminiscence). ⁷

By 1948, the “beanie ’copter” featured in comic book ads as a premium you could get for 25¢ and a Tootsie Roll wrapper ⁹ as well as many advertisements in Billboard magazine from various manufactures.

The hats were so popular that manufacturers were facing stiff competition to sell and would routinely slash their rates, trying to undercut competitors.

Nelson went on to become a professional writer of novels and short stories. He made no profit from the fad of sales of beanie hats that followed from his idea ¹² since he never filed for a patent.

The Beanie Bobber and the Propellerhead Beanie, though distinct in their purposes, share some intriguing parallels in quirky headwear:

1. Playful Aesthetic

• Propeller Beanie: An iconic symbol of whimsical headwear, the Propeller Beanie exudes playfulness. Its distinguishing feature, a non-functional propeller atop the head, adds a humorous and light-hearted touch.
• Beanie Bobber: The Beanie Bobber similarly embraces a playful aesthetic. Its function as a game controller with the element of fun. By transforming the beanie into an interactive device, it encourages users to bob their heads, infusing a playful and unconventional twist into traditional gaming.

2. Interaction and Engagement

• Propeller Beanie: The Propeller Beanie lacks direct interaction but engages people through its visual appearance, sparking conversations, laughter, and curiosity.
• Beanie Bobber: In contrast, the Beanie Bobber is designed for active interaction. It turns the beanie into a controller for users to manipulate game characters’ movements actively. This interaction elevates the playful aesthetic by engaging the wearer in a game.

3. Nostalgia and Novelty

• Propeller Beanie: With a history dating back to the mid-20th century, propeller beanies evoke nostalgia for some and symbolize a bygone era when such headgear was popular.
• Beanie Bobber: The Beanie Bobber introduces the novel concept of a wearable game controller, blending nostalgia for traditional gaming with a contemporary and unconventional twist. This juxtaposition of an everyday item (the beanie) with advanced technology adds a layer of novelty.

4. Expression and Individuality

• Propeller Beanie: Wearing a propeller beanie is an act of self-expression, often showcasing one’s lighthearted and whimsical personality. It serves as a fashion statement and a conversation starter.
• Beanie Bobber: The Beanie Bobber allows for self-expression in a unique way. It empowers wearers to express themselves through gaming and interactive experiences. Choosing to don the Beanie Bobber reflects an affinity for unconventional gaming interfaces and wearable technology.

Both the Propeller Beanie and the Beanie Bobber share a common theme of playfulness and whimsy. The Propeller Beanie has a long history of being a lighthearted and iconic accessory, while the Beanie Bobber takes the concept of a playful headpiece to the next level by integrating technology and active interaction. Both headwear items have the power to make a statement, spark conversation, and add a touch of fun and novelty to their wearers’ lives, albeit in different ways.

Lessons Learnt

1. (Don’t) Use Your Head I learned that there’s a reason that most if not all game controllers are hand-operated. I suspected this from the very beginning but it was interesting to see just how much of a challenge and in what specific ways it was difficult to use a head-operated game controller.
2. Safety First I learned that a metal ball suspended very close to your face and eyes can be super dangerous and determining the correct length for it is key to staying safe (better too short than sorry)
3. Latency The lowest possible time difference between thought, intent and action is extremely important in order make a successful game controller
4. Mappings are Important At times I was really close to catching the pong ball and had more than enough time to react as well. However, the position of the ball needed me to move the paddle ‘down’ and I would sometimes accidentally hit the ‘up’ arrow by mistake since my instinct is to move my head to the front and lower/bow it in order to get the paddle to ‘go down’.
5. Sometimes Difficulty = Fun It was interesting to see that despite being more difficult to play when using my wearable controller, I had more fun than the regular WASD or arrow keys.

Next Steps

1. I’d like to consider ergonomics and experiment with better fitting headgear so that it doesn’t fall off as easily. Maybe I could try a more rigid baseball cap? Maybe a string that holds it in place?
2. Play around more with both the size of the patches and the length of the braid holding the ball. Maybe also the weight of the ball? Would this make it more possible and easier to use in more contexts?
3. The interaction itself is interesting, but maybe there’s a more efficient way of going about it which reduces feedback time? Aishwarya’s interaction was very similar but her wearable’s solution to it was quite novel and elegant.
4. Use the game controller with other games: first person games might be more interesting since there is a slower feedback loop required as well as a more 1:1 correlation between the player’s movements and the on-screen results.
5. Make another hat and put two Beanie Bobber players up against each other. The interaction itself was frustrating but also both fun and funny for both players and viewers. More fun could be had with this, because you know what they say: two heads are better than one.

References

1. Prior, Olivia. “Olivia Prior – Rotating Soft Switch” | YouTube uploaded by Aranya Khurana, 16 October 2023 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BRUDKS4aoZc ↩︎
2. Carson Kompon. “Turning My Head Into A Functional Controller” | YouTube uploaded on 11 July, 2018 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nT4XKmwGZDc ↩︎
3. Wall of Fame | Interstellar Propeller. https://propellerheadhats.com/pages/wall-of-fame accessed on 18 October 2023, at 22:30 ↩︎
4. Propeller Beanie | Fancyclopedia 3 https://fancyclopedia.org/Propeller_Beanie last edited on 24 April 2023, at 14:30 ↩︎
5. Ellis, Ian. History of the Propeller Beanie and The Ultimate Propeller-Head Geek Today in Science History https://todayinsci.com/Events/Patent/UltimatePropellerHead.htm accessed on 18 October 2023, at 22:30 ↩︎
6. In Darrell Schweitzer, Speaking of the Fantastic (2002), 134 ↩︎
7. Ellis, I. History of the Propeller Beanie and The Ultimate Propeller-Head Geek Today in Science History https://todayinsci.com/Events/Patent/UltimatePropellerHead.htm accessed on 18 October 2023, at 22:30 ↩︎
8. Beanie and Cecil Poster | Etsy https://www.etsy.com/ca/listing/1394827416/beany-and-cecil-print-on-fine-art-paper accessed on 18 October 2023, at 01:30 ↩︎
9. Propeller Beanie | Fancyclopedia 3 https://fancyclopedia.org/Propeller_Beanie last edited on 24 April 2023, at 14:30 ↩︎
10. Tootsie Roll ad, 1948. ↩︎
11. The Billboard (5 Jun 1948), pp 93, 95-97. These, and other ads shown here may have been reproportioned and/or condensed. Some of these ads were rerun in following weeks. There is also (not shown) an ad for a Whirlwind Hat on p.98 ↩︎
12. Ellis, I. History of the Propeller Beanie and The Ultimate Propeller-Head Geek Today in Science History https://todayinsci.com/Events/Patent/UltimatePropellerHead.htm accessed on 18 October 2023, at 22:30 ↩︎