标签: playstation

I am quite happy to announce that the Playstation 3 controller has been modded and has been delivered to someone who needs it. If you don't remember the entire story, check out Part 1 where I asked for ideas on how to modify the controller for someone with muscular dystrophy. Getting to a proper resolution took several steps. As you saw in the first post, I had initially planned on physically modifying the controller to relocate the buttons. This idea really bothered me, though. Even if I had been able to come up with a functional prototype, it would have a been a slow, labour-intensive process. Should others want the same modification, it wouldn't have been much easier to do again. I decided an add-on or accessory was needed for the job instead. I brainstormed for a while and came up with a few designs of my own, but again realised that the best way I could actually help was to act as a cheerleader, inspiring people more talented than I am to act. (It seems this particular cheerleading skill of mine gets the most results, so I should skip to that step without so much delay on each project.) Together with the really amazing folks at iFixit, I hosted a contest. The first five people who could come up with the simplest, easy-to-implement, easy-to-distribute accessory that actually worked, would get a really cool Pro toolkit and a magnetic work mat. There have been a couple of winners with fully functional designs already. The design that I felt was the simplest and most elegant was actually just a golf tee and a paperclip hot glued to the controller. I thought this was brilliant, but I really wanted to be able to send people a part that they could attach and use. Maybe something a little higher quality and more reliable than a golf tee and paperclip. To do this, I designed a single piece that fulfills the same function and can be printed on a 3D printer. I was careful in my design to print in a way that the layers would give maximum strength in the correct direction, hopefully minimising the chance this will snap.     These are available to download at Thingiverse and YouMagine . Anyone can download them, modify them, and improve them. I really think that this simple plastic part might help a lot more people than if I had just modified the one controller I had. I also now have the potential to just print these and mail them cheaply to others who need them. Caleb Kraft Chief Community Editor EE Times

In my free time I run the website Thecontrollerproject.com . It is a project in which volunteer tinkerers customise existing interfaces at the request of people with specific physical challenges. Often, it is a game controller that needs to be made. Unfortunately, insurance companies don't cover this kind of thing, so tinkerers like myself have stepped in to attempt to supply hacked-together solutions that don't cost a ridiculous amount. In this series, I'll show you how we modify a Playstation3 controller for someone who has muscular dystrophy. Let's hop in and get started! 1. The controller Here's the controller. It is a standard PS3 controller. The person who needs the modification intends to use this with the PS3 and also the computer. The Playstation controller is most desirable because the buttons require less force to push than an Xbox 360 controller, and the user finds the placement to be more comfortable as well.   2. The modification needed Thomas, the person who needs the controller, has found that he doesn't have the strength to hold the triggers in. Unfortunately they are required for many games. He believes that if the triggers were located on the top of the controller he could use them, as he has more strength in his thumbs. 3. A peek inside   Here's the overall view of the inside of the controller. The triggers that need modification are located at the top of the image.   The plastic button/spring assembly removed on the trigger.   The rubber cover removed exposing the pressure sensitive resistors (I'm assuming). The Xbox360 uses a potentiometer and mechanical assembly instead. I was surprised to find this.   The trigger buttons with the frame removed. 4. A proposed solution My first thought is that I could remove the frame that holds the trigger button pads. I could then 3D-print an insert that slides right in place that holds them horizontally instead of vertically. This would leave the ribbon intact and require no electrical modification. The placement won't be perfect, but it is a fair trade-off. Unfortunately the placement of them will require that I cut a section of the controller off to allow access. Here is a rough mock-up of the intended modification. You can see the additional buttons in black boxes at the top of the controller.   I would love to hear other ideas as to how to reposition these quickly and cheaply, in the comments. Caleb Kraft Chief Community Editor EE Times