Real-Life, Playable Version of “Flappy Bird” Inside a Box

Intro: Real-Life, Playable Version of “Flappy Bird” Inside a Box

I made this real-life, playable version of "Flappy Bird" using Arduino Duemilanove, 3 servo motors, 2 buttons, a speaker, a reed switch, and handful of rare earth magnets.

First, find a box to make the frame of the game and two small dowels to create the rolling background. Those dowels are controlled by a motor that turns on when I presses a blue start button. Then attach another motor to a popsicle stick that opens and closes the box at the beginning and end of every session.

The Flappy Bird itself contains a magnetic sensor called a reed switch, which is programmed to be in a continual downward motion until you tap the button (just like the smartphone version). When the magnetic sensor touches the magnet — which is taped behind the pipes — the game is over.

The Arduino sketch is available here: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/ch0s13n480l2sph/-WJIdfY_hD

There’s also the opportunity to expand upon the physical game idea, creating your own new games to include in the box through the use of templates. I created a race car game inspired from Frogger and Pole Position.

Comments

[fqiu]

Hi everyone, I just cleaned up the Arduino sketch and shared on dropbox, feel free to use it! :)

[fqiu]

Hi everyone, I put together an illustrated instruction and a Plug and Play version of this project on Kickstarter, please check it out!

http://kck.st/1jOmspc

[fqiu]

Hello, the reed switch senses the magnets under the pipes, and then game over! :) No score keeping yet mechanism yet, maybe an LCD display?

[12345678902]

hello

[spylock]

You just reinvented a game I had in the early 80s,mine was a car going up a paper road.It kept me occupied thought,nice work.

[fqiu]

really? what was it called? I'd love to see it, could you link me?

[spylock]

That thing has been long ago thrown away,given away,but it was like what you made except it was in a plastic case with a clear plastic screen,for the lack of a better term,and it had a small steering wheel at the bottom.You tried to stay on the road without taking a dead end.

[vincent7520]

Fantastic !

Keep it this way : it shows how much those video games rely first on imagination not on computers !!!…

I love everything in it, especially the closing flap that ends the game.

I'll try to lobby to make my vote count a hundred instead of one !!…

You must win… otherwise this world is totally unfair !…

[fqiu]

Thank you! :D

[creativeideas4u]

any steps? I really want to learn!

[fqiu]

just shared the code, steps are still work in progress, did not do a good job documenting the project for the prototyp! :(

[casperanna]

That is soo cool. I love their reaction when the box closes. Ha ha ha ha!
=D

[eqian]

nice work!:D

[creativeideas4u]

that's is so cool, and that's a great idea of yours because no ads on flappy bird!

[kkr1999]

hey nice project

[zzz1]

that is the awesomest thing ever

[fixxon1972]

Keeping score could be done by pins at top pipes hitting a cog joined to a stripped hand clicker counter tally thing :) or a digi counter that counts on a connection hit :)

[faiza007]

what a cool project..!

[TSJWang]

No instructions, but cool project anyways.

[SuperScourge]

How does it sense of you hit the pipe?