Hat Ideas
In response to the recent post about the joystick hat, here’s a collection of hat ideas.
Idea 1: Trelemar’s button extension hat
Trelemar’s idea of a controller extension hat, from this thread.
This was probably inspired by the Circle Pad Pro for the original 3DS:
(I’d suggest maybe scrapping the speaker though, the Pokitto already has a decent speaker.)
This is similar to the joystick hat, so it might be redundant now?
Idea 2: Gyro Hat
A hat with a gyroscope + accelerometer + magnetometer combo chip.
It would be good for making games involving tilting the Pokitto, shaking the Pokitto or changing the Pokitto’s orientation.
This was one of the items in Adekto’s hat poll.
Basically something that functions a bit like the SparkFun 9DoF Sensor Stick or SparkFun 9DoF IMU Breakout (uses an ‘LSM9DS1 motion-sensing system-in-a-chip’).
I’m sure someone will think of a good use for the magnetometer - perhaps a Pokitto compass program?
Idea 3: IR Hat
A hat with an IR emitter and an IR sensor.
It would be good for some old-school tamagotchi-style connecting and for turning the Pokitto into a TV remote control using something like a modified version of the Arduino-IRremote library.
The remote control thing would be a good project for beginners and a good chance for kids to learn how their TV remote control actually works. (It’s educational!)
Idea 4: LED Bar Hat
Perhaps a line of 8-10 LEDs. Ideally it would be possible to either change the colour of the whole bar, or change the colours individually.
It could be used in place of any bar-based UI element, e.g. a health bar, or perhaps used like a ‘remaining lives’ counter - one light per life.
If the colour could change then a health bar could change colour as health decreases.
Importantly, it would probably be quite an easy hat for beginners to program, so it would be useful for early PEX projects.
Idea 5: Force Feedback Boots
This one isn’t a hat, it’s boots!
The problem with a ‘rumble hat’ is that it would only shake the top of the Pokitto.
But if you put the motor at the bottom instead then it shakes the area where the buttons are.