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Step 5Deconstructing the Gametrak
Start by removing the six screws in the bottom of the controller to remove its plastic top. Once you have the cover off let's take a look under the hood.
You'll notice that the Gametrak is actually a remarkably simple device. There a basically two systems each with three variable outputs; this gives X, Y, and Z coordinates for each glove.
In each, the wire is wound around a spring-bound spool laying horizontally. On top of the casings for these spools a simple set of gears transfers the spinning of the spool to a potentiometer. This measures the gloves distance from the controller, more or less its Z axis.
From the opening in the spool casing the wire passes through a vertical pulley which sends it up under and out the tip of the joystick. This allows the wire to be freely pulled from the controller while simultaneously measuring the X and Y axis with the joystick.
The string ends in a plastic female connector which fits to matching male connector on the glove. These wires are under constant tension from the steel spring in the spool and these connectors are the only thing that keeps the wire from snapping back into the spool.
We'll be using almost all of the controller's important parts. The only parts we won't be using are the plastic casing, the gloves, the two glove-wire connectors, one plastic pulley, and the four weights found in each of the controller's corners. If you can find ways to use these in the finished project, go right on ahead. I'm all for conservation of resources.
You'll notice that the Gametrak is actually a remarkably simple device. There a basically two systems each with three variable outputs; this gives X, Y, and Z coordinates for each glove.
In each, the wire is wound around a spring-bound spool laying horizontally. On top of the casings for these spools a simple set of gears transfers the spinning of the spool to a potentiometer. This measures the gloves distance from the controller, more or less its Z axis.
From the opening in the spool casing the wire passes through a vertical pulley which sends it up under and out the tip of the joystick. This allows the wire to be freely pulled from the controller while simultaneously measuring the X and Y axis with the joystick.
The string ends in a plastic female connector which fits to matching male connector on the glove. These wires are under constant tension from the steel spring in the spool and these connectors are the only thing that keeps the wire from snapping back into the spool.
We'll be using almost all of the controller's important parts. The only parts we won't be using are the plastic casing, the gloves, the two glove-wire connectors, one plastic pulley, and the four weights found in each of the controller's corners. If you can find ways to use these in the finished project, go right on ahead. I'm all for conservation of resources.
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