Could You Print A Game Controller That’s Better For Your Hands?
Happy Monday, Makers. In case you haven’t seen this fully functional Nintendo Controller coffee table, please take this opportunity to look at this fully functional Nintendo Controller coffee table.
I won’t say too much about this maple/mahogany/walnut beauty, as it speaks for itself. It’s on sale at Etsy and currently being raffled at Dude! I want that.
It just so happens we were recently discussing game controller hacks in the office, prompted by a user on Thingiverse. Along the lines of the table above (okay, not really at all), is it possible to mold the basic scheme of a particular controller into something more custom?
First we wondered about reprinting the casing of a broken controller, or doing a quick sketchup and print of a joystick that broke off. But what if you wanted the joystick on the right, not the left, and what if your hand is so large or small that you want the D-button on the top, not the front. I’m making these examples up, but the question is: given the electronics of a controller designed for a particular console, could you 3D print a better shape to fit your hands and style of play? Or is style of play already so strongly determined by the familiar shapes of existing controllers? (,asked the non-gamer.)
Now, I’m basically talking about ergonomics, not aesthetic mods and not entirely new ways of interfacing with a game. As for the latter, these guys have some pretty sweet ideas:
| Tagged with | 3d printing, console, controller, customizaton, modification, Nintendo, Playstation, XBox | 4 comments |
4 Comments so far
Ryan
Thanks for blogging about the giveaway guys. Anyone is free to enter!
We actually listed The Makerbot on our site back in Sepember – http://www.dudeiwantthat.com/gear/gadgets/makerbot-thingomatic-3d-printer-kit.asp
Joe Larson
There’s a related issue with getting the electronics to fit inside.
I’ve often thought that with a makescanner or spinscan you could grab a piece of some pliable material, slap it down, scan it, and print out a shell that would be absolutely perfectly molded to your hand.
Andrew
@Ryan, thanks for the love! Will keep my eye on the stuff you feature from now on, for sure.
@Joe, It seems to me like there’s probably a lot of empty space in those controllers, right? I’m sure they do a ton of testing to get it right for (a) most people’s hands and (b) what you’re supposed to be able to do with it. But your idea sounds good. Start with a pliable version of the basic shape of a controller and then get it just right for your hand. I’m not even a gamer and I want this now.
couldn’t it work for a computer mouse, too?
Valkyrie Savage
It so happens that I’m working on a project semi-related to this.. the prototyping side of it, anyway. I’m looking for models of different kinds of game controllers or other interactive devices that I can use to test out my project; do you all happen to have some or know where I might find some?