£10 running-on-the-spot input device trials

Hi all,

Yesterday I took a cheap wireless mouse, removed the case and buttons, and wired one after the other the following three inputs (see photos) to the PCB to test. My aim was to try using the setup with an AutoHotKey script I had created, so that I could jog, run or stand still using the input device - and for my character to do the same in any FPS game. (For this purposes, I actually tested in Quake and google earth - but in front of my home projector as I'm long-awaiting the rift consumer release)

1. A pressure pad from a dance mat.

image[4].jpeg
https://developer.oculusvr.com/forums/download/file.php?id=3059

result: worked pretty well actually! I could successfully pace,pace,pace with variable speed on the spot. As such, I took a jog down the Las Vegas strip in Google Earth 3D street level, which was really cool! And with the autohotkey script I devised, when you stop running (catch your breath) your character stops running too - even though you're still stood on same spot.


2. An audio-sensor switch taped to the floor to pick up vibrations (from running anywhere in the area on a hardwood floor).

image.jpeg
https://developer.oculusvr.com/forums/download/file.php?id=3056


result: disappointing - but I expect this needed further adapting to work really well. For this, I took a cheap sound-activated LED light, which was originally wonderfully sensitive to sound - especially when the sensor was taped down to a surface and I knocked anywhere on the surface. So I took the audio sensor out and wired this into the mouse PCB input. However, suddenly the sensitivity of the input sensor was incredible weak. I had to really KNOCK the sensor hard with my knuckles to get any input through. So alas, this taped to the flood produced almost NOTHING. But I question why it worked extremely well when part of the LED light setup? I know very little about electronics, but could it be that it required also some resistor or other component to make it more sensitive? ...I'd love to get this working effectively, it would mean that you could potentially be less limited to the area in which you moved, so long as sound vibrations were picked up.


3. A PIR movement sensor ripped from a cheap motion-activated LED device.

image[3].jpeg
https://developer.oculusvr.com/forums/download/file.php?id=3060

result: hit and miss. On some occasions I could face this towards by body and run, and my on-screen counter clocking the inputs would correspond. But lack of sensitivity seemed to be an issue again in all positions I tried it. I think similar to the sound-input device, something else is needed to boost sensitivity here. And of course, best just to monitor motion at feet-level, as firing a gun you don't want to trigger any 'forward' motion.


So, check the photos, let me know your thoughts, or any other input switches which might be interesting to try to measure jogging/walking on the spot. (How about a pedometer input device attached to the mouse? Then just put the it in your pocket)

A final note: There are people obviously designing treadmill motion simulators etc, but in my opinion, just running on the spot really doesn't feel much different an experience from actually moving in a particular direction, especially when you're focused on the graphics from the game moving around you. And this requires only a small space and a quick setup - allowing you to do it anywhere easily - and cheaply. So I think there is actual potential in making an effective but simple on the spot input device.