Engineers builds Arduino-led game console from a fidget clicker and I want to fidget with it so badly
If you've ever wished your fidget toy were a mini games console with an OLED display and six key switches, you can build one yourself with some electronics know-how.
Well, more accurately, you need a lot of electrical know-how, as demonstrated by user wjddnjdnd's project at Instructables (via Hackaday). Playfully titled the GameBox Clicker, this project is a "modular magnet key game console", and it can currently run Pong, Snake, and Stair Game (which is reportedly inspired by the mobile game Infinite Stairs). It even has a small hole in it that you can fit a lanyard loop or keyring chain through.
The creator says "this project is not about powerful hardware or complex graphics" and is instead intended to explore how, with limited input and simple buttons, "small DIY projects can grow into new ideas." You can find the full files on the Instructables website to build your own, but you will need the following equipment:
- 5 mm EVA Foam Sheet
- Small Hinges x 2
- Neodymium Magnets (1 x 2 mm) x 30
- Gold Eyelets x 2
- Keyring Chain x 1
- Magnetic Shaft Keys x 6
- Keycaps x 6
- A3144 (A3114) Hall Sensors x 6
- Arduino Nano x 1
- OLED Display (SSD1306, I2C) x 1
- TP4056 Li-ion Charging Module (with protection circuit) x 1
- MT3608 DC-DC Step-Up Converter (2A) x 1
- 3.7V Li-ion Battery 380mAh x 1
- Coil Copper Wire 0.1 mm
- Solder & soldering tools
- Glue (hot glue or foam-safe adhesive)
- Cutter / hobby knife
If you find that big list of items daunting, wait until you hear about the steps needed to actually build the GameBox Clicker. You will need to laser cut EVA foam layers, build a USB Type-C compatible power system, install and fine-tune wiring and Hall sensors, plus build a script to play on the OLED. To fix the keys, you must first adjust the Hall sensor positions on the board, then permanently fix them once you are happy with the result.
Arduino test code is run to see if the sensors are working properly, with built-in LED flashing when the sensor is triggered, and turning off when the sensor is released. The testing of the keys involves pushing them down to halfway, and hoping the LED reacts. If not, changes need to be made.
If, however, you don't have the patience and equipment to build the Gamebox itself, you can access a web simulation of the gamebox that is not only fully operational, but Pong is multiplayer. "Each game uses a different key layout, just like a real arcade device."
The creator says next for the project is to add more games, change the button layout, improve graphics or sound, and design a new enclosure for it.
This is not their first time building something out of a fidget toy. They built a four-key customizable clicker previously, but this current project steps it up with more keys and a screen. At this rate, the next project will have eight keys and will be able to play Doom. Or at least that's my hope.