Looking for a 4 way foot pedal, or a guide on a DIY version.

[Suppressor1137]

So, as some of you may know, I am a disabled individual. My left-hand lacks fine motor control, So using wsad for a control scheme is impossible for me, at least with any assured accuracy(q and e, or hitting two keys instead of one) To top it off, the sensitivity in my fingertips isn't all that great either.

I'm interested in twitch reflex shooters, but never had the dexterity to use strafing, and as a result, I'm pretty terrible at fps games(I have pretty good aim, but my evasion sucks!). I just want to try the genre with this to see if this kind of control scheme would work for me.

I saw this https://www.amazon.com/Stinky-Gamin...d=1497830181&sr=1-2&keywords=stinky+footboard and had a heart attack for the price. It is EXACTLY what I had in mind, but that price is absurdly prohibitive.

Are there any alternatives out there on the cheaper side of things? Or would it be possible to buy some wood(or 3d printed plastic maybe) that can house some key switches, wire them up to some sort of controller, and use them as like a programmable 4 key extension of my keyboard? I don't mind programming a software to go with it either.

I'm a novice(not a beginner) with a soldering iron, so I don't mind soldering. It would be a fun project anyways.

Thanks for any input on existing solutions!

 

[Robert17]

Alternatives:

This one is a video, DIY pedals

Another take on it shopping; and another, and another, and another.

 

[Suppressor1137]

I really appreciate the links. I've been doing some research on the side as well, and now have a pretty good idea where to start.

I'm looking now for some parts for a DIY project. The ones listed don't quite meet my needs. I'm okay with spending a little bit of money on this project, as it is also a learning experience for me.

To start, I'm going to pick up a package of Cherry MX Green switches, unless someone has any other recommendations. From there, the planning phase of Where to Put said switches on my device.

I do like the idea of a central pivot point like the stinkyboard(Which also gave influence to my choice of switches), but depending on the difficulty of setting one of those up, I may opt for a different design. I think I may do a short video series on the build, as a sort of video log for later reference on other DIY projects.

 

[Blaylock]

I'm not sure this would help with your controls Suppressor but I use a space ball for my C.A.D. work. It doesn't require the fine motor skills of the finger tips but could be used by the motion of the palms/wrist. This is a basic model and there are some more advanced ones too.

3D Connection Space Puck - Basic

3D Connection Space Ball - Advanced (similar to the one I have)

 

[Suppressor1137]

Sure, this could work, assuming you could bind the movement to wsad, but using my feet is something that could expand my usage range further than a hand control by quite a bit; my left hand can handle left shift and left alt for sprint and crouch respectively, and allows it to handle additional things that aren't related to wsad.

As for the advanced knob, those buttons are something I would not be able to take advantage of, if used by the left hand.

I use a logitech g600 in my right hand, Which gives me access to 31 total usable buttons on that mouse. Sure, that sounds like a lot, but 24 of them is limited to 1-2 inputs at a time due to the way the thumb works.

 

[Blaylock]

Yeah, the Puck/Ball is fully programmable and even has macro capability with profiles for individual programs.

Another option might be a Wii board hack.

 

[Suppressor1137]

Yeah, the Puck/Ball is fully programmable and even has macro capability with profiles for individual programs.

Another option might be a Wii board hack.

That actually worked! had an old Wii board collecting dust, charging its battery up and testing it with alkaline batteries. so far, its working decent. not a perfect solution, but a free one!

 

[Blaylock]

Nice!

 

[Robert17]

Sweet!