We came up with the best physical version of Happy Wheels in real life - making the virtual game a physical reality. This game uses the popular Makey Makey - given to us as a part of the January Instructables Build Night. We are two freshman students, Bryan and Quin from the AGHS Maker Class - part of the first year.

This game not only is more fun than the virtual version, but gives you exercise and is an easy build at around 20 minutes. We had a fully functional prototype in one hour, and have a few ideas on improvements - including a generator hooked up to the trainer on the back of the bike to charge your phone, or even the computer screen attached to the Makey Makey.

We used foil + tape to attach to certain areas of the bike, using the player as a capacitor; the player has one hand on the handlebar to be connected to Earth (or ground) and simply presses on the brake or starts pedaling to move on the screen.

Enjoy!

*video coming very soon*

Step 1: Parts & Tools

Parts Required:

MakeyMakey Deluxe Kit ($50)
Brains
Cool Person to ride Bike
Bike
Bike Trainer
Computer (Desktop or Laptop, PC, Mac or Linux)
Duct Tape (or anything that is extra sticky and at least 1" wide)
Tin Foil

Optional Parts:

Extra Alligator Clips (for more ways to play)
Socks (if you don't want to pedal barefoot

Tools:

Scissors
Banana to eat
Cookie to eat
Water to drink if you are thirsty and play hard

Step 2: Add Forward Pedal

Take out some tape and tin foil - you'll need enough tin foil to cover the whole right pedal and enough tape to secure it. Take out three alligator clips, and chain them together so that it makes one long clip.

Connect one end of the new long alligator clip to the tin foil on the pedal, facing outwards so that it does not contact the frame of the bike every rotation of the pedal.

Step 3: Add Back Pedal

Take out some tape and tin foil - you'll need enough tin foil to cover the right hand brake and enough tape to secure it. Also take out one alligator clip.

Connect one end of the alligator clip to the tin foil on the handbrake, facing outwards so that it does not contact the other tin foil contacts that we will add on later.

Every time that you squeeze (or even touch) the brakes, now it will go backwards.

Step 4: Add Brakes / Jetpack & Earth / Ground

Take out some tape and tin foil - you'll need enough tin foil to cover one individual segment on the front of the bike close to the player, but does not touch the handlebar (which will connect it to earth, therefore automatically pressing the keys for the player, and make it not work) and enough tape to secure it. Also take out two alligator clips.

Connect one of the alligator clips' ends onto the handlebar, which is preferably conductive (you should test this before adding on the rest), and if not, you can add tin foil and tape onto the whole handlebar. Now the whole handlebar should be connected to Earth, which in turn will make the player connect to Earth.

On the segment of the tin foil, face it outwards so that it does not contact the other tin foil contacts that we will add on later. Every time that you touch this small segment of tape, you will brake on the game.

Step 5: Add Forward / Back Lean

Take out some tape and tin foil - you'll need enough tin foil to cover two individual segments on the front of the bike close to the player, but does not touch the handlebar (which connects to earth, therefore automatically pressing the keys for the player, and make it not work) and enough tape to secure it. Also take out two alligator clips.

Connect two of the alligator clips to each of the new tin foil segments on the front of the bike. Make sure to face it outwards so that it does not contact the other tin foil contacts. Every time that you touch either of these small segments of tape, you will learn forward or backwards.

Step 6: Add Makey Makey

Take out your Makey Makey and plug it into your desktop or laptop. Go onto Google Chrome, and go here. Mount the Makey Makey on the front of your bike; make sure that it doesn't touch any of the contacts that you have made including the handlebar - it also doesn't need to be in reach of the player.

Here are the connections that you need to make: