LibraryMakers - Make your own game controller with Makey Makey

Make your own game controller with Makey Makey

By: Artefacto

Intro

Makey Makey is a simple circuit board you can use to create your own keyboard for a computer. This means you can use conductive materials to create your own game controller.

What you need

Makey Makey board and alligator cables
Computer with USB board
Scratch - with some of your favourite Scratch-based games bookmarked.
Clipboards - one for each participant

How

Preparation

Connect the MaKey MaKey to the USB of your computer.
Connect alligator clips to the four arrow keys as well as the space bar on the Makey Makey board. - Now connect an alligator clip to “Earth”. This is for grounding people.
Connect the Earth cable to the metal clip on the clip board .
Leave the other ends of the alligator cables loose so people can connect to them
Find some games to use (or create your own), preferably some that use the arrow keys and space bar to navigate. Platformers are particularly good for this but you can also use other types of games and musical instrument projects in Scratch.

Makey Makey game screen Scratch Studio for Makey Makey-friendly games - scratch.mit.edu/studios/4112235/

Activity

Draw your own key or controller design on the paper. Make the pencil lines nice and thick and make sure they end close enough to the edge to connect to the cables.
You can also use other conductive materials in your design, such as foil or conductive dough.

Connect the keys you’ve designed with the alligator clips.

Now you can test your controller with a game in Scratch. Hold the clipboard clip and touch the keys to play.

Makey Makey game controller