Ben Heck’s Arcade Joystick Accessibility Mod

In this episode Ben teams up with John from John’s Arcade to create the ultimate single handed arcade controller.
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[@thegreatmoa]

I love it when you do projects like this. This mod solves a real problem, is not overly complicated, and showcases the iterative problem solving process required to take a project from the idea phase to a useful tool. I also liked the effort you put into the design of the handle grip so it's easy to install and remove one-handed, and looks like it wouldn't be uncomfortable to use. Well done!

[@CMM1215]

thegreatmoa Couldn't have said it better myself. Loved this episode, too!

[@Shundi12]

Poor old Gyruss, now gone from the arcade. Love the John's arcade channel. Great cross over video.

[@Southernfriedgameroomexpo]

Thanks for coming to the Southern-Fried Gameroom Expo, Ben! What a great project and it's nice to see a real person actually benefiting from such a cool device. Hope you can make it to our next show June 10-12, 2016!

[@ddpaul22]

Thanks to John's Arcade Game Reviews & Tech for turning me onto this channel. Subscribed and now hooked. Time to go watch all the old vids.

[@SoldatCrinale]

This is awesome. He was playing rampage like a champ. Ben's ingenuity never ceases to amaze me. Jon's arcade is a great channel. The energy and knowledge he has for classic coin ops is immense as well. I dream to have a basement like his.

[@Johnsarcade]

SoldatCrinale Thanks, Solda!

[@Joliie]

That was an awesome project, Erie looked so happy playing it put a big grin on my face. Thank you both for that.

[@chrismailloux5428]

Loved this episode!! I always enjoy watching Ben Heck - but I really like when Ben making stuff for our vets!

[@fastcompjason]

I would of had 5 "finger buttons" (4 fingers and a top mounted thumb) each going to a dis-connectable output to drive up to 5 actuators. I would of made the footprint of each actuator a bit smaller by having the solenoid made as an insert into a metal pipe (for weight). I would of also made them with color coded wires (braid wrapped with Tekflex) and connectors so that it is easy to disconnect and reconnect for only those needed as well as a USB chargable battery pack (for user to be able to charge with standard 5V 2.1A USB charger when traveling. Other than that, your designs as always are functional and inspiring. Great that you always try to help those with physical disabilities to help their quality of life! You Rock Ben!

[@snow69413]

I've been subscribed to Johns' arcade for long time now which is why I'm at this channel. I'm pretty amazed with Ben's single handed arcade controller. Just subscribed to this channel.

[@renderizado]

John's Arcade = Instant Like, Great Collaboration +1 like, Help someone to overcome their accessibility issues +100 likes

[@Johnsarcade]

Mariano Hernández Thanks Mariano!

[@renderizado]

The man himself reply my comment, time to freak out OMG I love soo much John!!!! ok ok ok calm down, Thanks to you John!!! I learned a lot with your videos, also it's so fun to watch I restored a NEO GEO cabinet, now is my pride and joy also playing The Killscreens music while working on it makes me fell like I co-star your show, excuse the bad english, greetings from Mexico, Viva John!!!

[@Johnsarcade]

Mariano Hernández Awesome Mariano! Thanks tons for watching and listening to my music! NEO GEO rules! Congrats on the cabinet!

[@alonzochurch3778]

Awesome my two favorite youtubers

[@Johnsarcade]

alonzo church Thanks, Alonzo! Ben is also my favorite KZbinr. I love his channel.

[@alonzochurch3778]

John's Arcade Game Reviews & Tech when are you going to make a video on the computer space machine ☺☺

[@Johnsarcade]

alonzo church I dunno! VERY SOON I HOPE. I have other projects ahead of it.

[@alonzochurch3778]

Yes man I understand keep up the good work

[@ryanamberger]

This other guy seems pretty cool. Has some sweet games too. But he is soooo loud. LOL

[@Johnsarcade]

Ryan Amberger Yes, I am just naturally loud. I can't help it. Thank god for volume.... ;)

[@b4ux1t3-tech]

John's Arcade Game Reviews & Tech I think you have a little Billy Mays in you! It's awesome, you bring a lot of energy and are really engaging. You have a new subscriber now!

[@Johnsarcade]

Christopher Pilcher Thanks, Chris! I hope you enjoy the episodes. :)

[@MrFootConnoisseur]

Ryan Amberger He doesn't seem to know how microphones work. The microphone does the amplification, you don't have to yell.

[@joshuasprucie8933]

The Ben Heck Show John's Arcade Game Reviews & Tech John and Ben you kicked ass on this project. So nice to see that you could help someone with only 1 hand play arcade games. This collaboration was an amazing idea since John had a lot of arcade games to get the measurements and Ben could use them to make the device. Also hello from across the pond here in the uk :)

[@mtylerryan]

Just discovered this show today and I recognized the Xbox 360 laptop from the OXM issue about it! SO thrilled to sub! And this is a recent video, so I'm pleased to see your still at the top of your game! Keep up the good work!

[@Scanlaid]

Great episode. Cool problem solving, the episode is self contained, and it was awesome seeing it in use at the end!

[@bcsuda]

That's seriously an awesome collaboration, a great cause and a fantastic idea! Thanks for the video!

[@ConanRider]

This has to be one of Ben's best projects. You should make all the files open source other disabled people can play arcade games :)

[@carlperkins1452]

Great job working together to come up with this fantastic device!!!

[@darktetsuya]

Just came over from John's Arcade, wow that was an amazing project! really awesome to be able to see it all come together, I do agree that you should put the schematics out there so more people that want something like this can make their own!

[@Johnsarcade]

DarkTetsuya It's truly an amazing project. Ben is sooooo talented!

[@ReplayStation]

HEY GUYS! WE. ARE IN. THE BEN HECK SHOW... I love John's Arcade

[@1CrispyCracker]

John's Arcade rocks!

[@Johnsarcade]

ReplayStationShow Thanks, pal!

[@Johnsarcade]

Mr. Scale Thank you!

[@Johnsarcade]

***** Thanks, Vax! YOU ROCK!

[@flynnz]

ReplayStationShow love John's Arcade - and great idea for a project!

[@slo74786]

Loved this project. I have a thought. John made a comment on an episode that he preferred tastefully spare mame projects to what he called 'frankenmame'. I take his point and agree. control panels that try to be all things to all people can get a bit cluttered. However; a Discs of tron style joystick that snaps onto a standard 8-way and can make use of a more modest button set would be amazing. Even steering wheels (?) but certainly gas and brakes or a pole position gear shifter could take advantage of a few existing buttons and a standard joystick... There Could be a market for the most popular and classic control add-ons. Good work on this one guys. Even my wife appreciated this. For Heck fans who are into classic arcade, you can't do better than John's arcade. (PS The steering wheel could affix to a standard spinner for analogue control... so you define a minimal control set then handle the rest through modular parts)

[@airguitar1321]

Happy 200 episodes Ben!

[@arcade_matt]

Hey Ben, you should try and build a custom tabletop arcade claw machine! :D

[@AnalogX64]

This was a nice surprise two of my favourite youtube show in one. John's Arcade and Ben Hek Show. I hope you can do another one of these in the future.

[@fullyboricua2554]

This was a GREAT project Ben! You really nailed it :)

[@Beaps73]

Great video Ben. The thing I would of changed if it was his own dedicated arcade machine was, wire the cherry switches from the buttons directly to the trigger switches. That way you wouldn't need to use the activators so it would have a cleaner look

[@allluckyseven]

It's a cool idea. I think I would try and make a clamp for the joystick, with a single, stronger spring. And maybe, with more time, there could be possible to make something for the buttons to grasp onto the cabinet (to replace the weights), as most cabinets, I think, have a lip. That could help with making room for more buttons, which would need to be adjustable in the Y axis. Quick thought. I don't know if it would be feasible. It would help having at least one cabinet to work on top of.

[@tonebone7053]

I now have a new level of respect for these two guys!! Awesome!

[@patrickboots7799]

I literally just got off of John's Arcade and I Find this. My Two Favorite Electronic Guys collide!

[@evilash570]

Great episode! my two favorite channels joining forces for the greater good! I can't wait to see John of john's arcade, do a restore video in 10 years on ben's pinball that he made!

[@EmperorEva0001]

Nice, but i would have used the batterypack as weight to keep the solenoids down

[@MasterControl90original]

EmperorEva0001 it is a nice idea, but a better one is to use small batteries for each device

[@SatoshiMatrix1]

MasterControl90 Well, think of the owner. Man has one arm. Hvae you ever tried to remove batteries from....anything with just one hand? having the battery pack as a separate unit is a much better solution for the man it was built for.

[@MasterControl90original]

Satoshi Matrix that's true but it is a recharchable battery, there is nothing that can deny to charge "directly" the batteries without disassemble the controller aid. Ben used an old battery pack because was istantly available, but some lithium battery pack with an integrated recharge circuit isn't difficult to assemble

[@Vectrex4Life]

You could also put each micro switch for each button inside a glove, then rest your palm on the top of the joystick. I tried it out with my Power Glove and Neo Geo MVS, worked nicely.

[@rdoetjes]

Ben's mechanical skills are barnun! WOW! I feel so in apt when it comes to design.

[@stewjw]

Very neat. Now Ben design a HOTAS Joystick. The joystick needs to center properly, and be sensitive to the the x-y motion and have a lockable Z-stick control (rudder). 4-way switches on the top of the joystick should be accessible with a thumb control. The throttle portion needs to have a consistent smooth action and be usable without having to bolt it to the desk. There needs to be minimum of two trim controls but preferably 3 for aircraft control surfaces and programmable buttons as required. The joystick also needs to last longer than 6 months before failing. There is currently no joystick model on the market which matches those specs. My barely used Saitek X65F throttle failed on me. I opened it up and found wires are all over the place, and they pass through the throttle control stick to the base. They have actually designed it so when the screws are used to join the two halves together the wires are cut by the screws which I'm sure must have caused a few failures. I could go on....

[@OlivierLopezCh]

15:15 He's probably thinking: "Oh shit... this dude is so amazing"

[@Penggren]

"Why make one, when you can make two at twice the price" LOL classic

[@robm5399]

awesome project nice to see you helping people that really benefit from your work .

[@StarDustSid]

For UK builders, lead weights sold in fishing tackle shops make up for the unavailability of small arms ammunition to dismantle.

[@StarDustSid]

Rizla Big time mate. I love his shows. I've been getting back into electronics after many years. There's so much new stuff on the market to play with.

[@Regular6782]

Was that a Carl Sagan quote I heard at the end, haha. Another fantastic video mate, love it!

[@wgm-en2gx]

I think one improvement would be to use the batteries as the weight killing two birds with one stone. Maybe like 3 C size Nimh on each side of the button mounts except for the side that allows the close proximity of the actuators. I'm probably oversimplifying the sizing of the actuators...

[@MrGridStrom]

This really is a great concept. I would have made the button pushers modular, so you could have up to 6 buttons that have a variable distance between them. I would have also made the handle support 2 buttons for the thumb and 2x buttons for each finger.

[@livinlicious]

This is actually something I think many people would love to have/buy. Maybe revisit it, make it sliq and put it onto the market? I dont know, I imagine having only one hand and not being able to play games must suck.

[@gamehulk]

Freaking awesome, Ben. Now do one for a 6 button Street Fighter layout :).

[@sdm1981apps]

+John's Arcade Game Reviews & Tech Ah the highlight of my week when my two favorite KZbin channels do a crossover. Its kinda like Wolverine and Batman going after The Joker to hang out and have a beer.

[@danniedarko4835]

Ben keeping the Bad Assery going for everyone in need. Awesome

[@Johnsarcade]

Dannie Darko BEN IS DEF' BAD ASS!

[@abergethirty]

Ben should make a Mame Cabinet for his next project. With the 3D printer he could make his own controllers, artwork for the cabinet, everything.

[@xKatjaxPurrsx]

I would have painted the inside of the ball gripper with a bit of latex or 'plastidip' to protect the arcade balls from scratching and also have put little tube of fabric or light plastic around the springs to protect both them and the joystick.

[@MIGuy]

Excellent project selection that enhanced a life!

[@mitcoes]

I have just discovered you, and congratulations I enjoyed it a lot. And I have work keeping up. And as I am a "suggester" I would suggest a different order for the script beginning with the problem, then the final solution and from the final solution explaining all the parts. That is as I decided to watch the show and I enjoyed more than as it is "mounted".

[@AndrewWellsIsAwesome]

the original NES had a jostick peripheral i owned that u slid ur controller into thru a slotted base. it used these plastic sticks 2 mechanically transfer the jostick direction and large button presses down 2 the D-Pad and buttons on the actual controller. i remembered it 4 the first time since about 20 seconds into the video.

[@andrewkowalczyk1156]

I feel like suction cups would have been a much simpler solution, but good build for a noble cause, great video

[@andrewcassidy1790]

we need a montage of all of Ben's movie references!

[@michaelwilson4339]

Felix was having way to much fun with that button

[@HKT-4300]

Screwing Balls and shafts On this episode of the ben feck show.

[@KennyChu]

Loooo

[@HKT-4300]

Kenny Chu Sarry.

[@FMIO]

There is actually a material for 3D printing that is plastic embedded with metal, that certainly would have done the weight job.

[@raindogred]

Excellent project. Just thinking instead of using lead weights, as lighter alternative it might be possible, to use those small mini vacuum suction cup devices. They generally have a small flip switch to create the vacuum (see them in car dashboard phone holders etc). Probably just need to clean down the game surface with an alcohol wipe to get it really clean. Maybe have 2 per button device, mounted on opposite sides? Battery pack could have a belt hook so you can be wearing and make it easier to go from game to game..

[@collinnapier441]

Hey Ben! Another great vid! I have an idea for a episode. I'd like to see a video on how to make your own 6502 computer or something similar. I know you made the Mac 1 replica but it wasn't much detail about the computer circuitry. Thanks!

[@roasthunter]

great project, good ol' John from Johns Arcade, gotta love his laugh :)

[@malgailany]

I would use battery pack as weight and add a charging circuitry to it. Clever build Ben. Thanks for the video.

[@shadowmanjack]

It would be awesome if you made two of these to enable one person to play co-op games (Turtles in Time, Contra, Sunset Riders) playing each player on a different hand!

[@neojeets]

Kudos to you and John! Great job guys.

[@Gamefever_10]

"Hello Guys! we ...are in...the basement" liked for John 😁😁😁

[@n.h.s.a.d.m.]

This takes me back over 30 years when I was trying to figure out a way to make a device that would press an arcade button frequently for rapid fire without my finger getting tired. Didn't get very far since I was elementary school age.

[@SharifSourour]

Really nice work! That's cool even for people with two hands!

[@bubblebass1902]

Ben Heck is my hero.

[@john-paulhopman318]

Great project, though I was wondering if a smaller battery system could be incorporated to weigh the buttons down.

[@relishgargler]

You know you can just buy bags of lead shot from most gun stores, right? Being in Wisconsin, you should have a good selection to choose from.

[@VitekSTZero]

Can I ask, what's the music at 2:27? Nice video by the way! :)

[@MythicalMonk3y]

Well done Ben and crew. That thing is cool. :)

[@DamianReloaded]

I really enjoy these mash ups, specially watching the thing from both sides each one with it's unique style. _You killed it Ben. Thing Rocked_ ^_^

[@rt00155e]

That's such a clever solution. Congrats!

[@bknesheim]

Great design exept I do think a hinged clamp would work better then sprngs. Would give a firmer and more secure connection to the joystick

[@tuckerton296]

I love john's arcade!

[@LazyBunnyKiera]

In the joystick portion, i'd have used some rubber inserts and maybe a locking latch to really grab the joystick ball, for more intense gameplay. and more buttons, but i like buttons so that's just my thing.

[@daanwilmer]

I still chuckle about "Regrettable acting" :)

[@parasox6203]

Hey Ben! I see that you have a delta style 3d printer in this video, this is the first time I've seen that printer in your videos, how do you like it? What do you think about a video explaining the differences and benefits to each printer design?

[@frankmoolah]

even though the episode sounds scripted, i commend ben for using his talent for the less fortunate

[@autotalon]

I would have used much smaller solenoids and put them sideways. Then have them push onto a lever hinged on the housing that pivots down to push the button down. You could probably make them less than half as tall that way. You could also manipulate the distance between the axis of the solenoid and where it pushes on the pivoting piece of you wanted more leverage. I'd imagine with something like that you could get away with a camera battery. Also maybe make a thumbscrew(s) or wingnut to tighten the controller onto the stick so it doesnt move. Unless he liked it to move.

[@EquinoxTheGryph]

nice a new post!

[@pezjme]

what if he wants to play a ball controller game like centipede or missile command or games like street fighter that have more buttons. That could be a premise for an upcoming episode.

[@coolnamesTV]

Awesome episode!

[@Stjaernljus]

i think i would find a way to move the joystick with lower palm or thumb then just place fingers on the arcade buttons. That would not limit the amount of usable buttons as much.

[@budczus]

In all honesty Ben. I would lock you in my basement. Feed you doritos/mountain dew and make you build cool shit for me.

[@joscythe556]

Nice job Ben!

[@dudenamedclem]

Really awesome, enjoyed it very much! Thanks Ben!

[@kamingcheng4830]

Ben, a nice project!

[@mikerman50]

great to see projects like this for 1 handed gamers, #AbleGamers charity should work along side with ben to make more, my girlfriend only has the use of her right hand yet she'd love to play on pc/ xbox but finding controllers is very hard without paying a fortune

[@SlimeMadeRedstone]

Could you do a tutorial on autodesk 123D design and how you imported the adobe illustrator drawing into it. It would really help

[@MindMeetMaker]

Think I would have made a belt clip for that battery. looks difficult to me, walking machine to machine carring the battery and button pods in one hand, but I guess this is a proof of concept. Posh Work Ben.....

[@OriruBastard]

Another handicap controller? Dang Ben, you should rename your show Ben's Controller Hacks For Handicapped People, if this keeps up.

[@JBrothersz]

Awesome Ben!

[@porjay]

Wow good solution! Great job Ben

[@RaviKumar-tj9fx]

hi sir. help me. In RASPBERRY PI How to capture an image with webcam and send that image as email using MATLAB. pls tell me the process what i have to follow. step to step.

[@TheRealWattsie]

Didn't read all the comments, but how about using the batteries as the weights for the solenoid units... thus reducing the box count... Also, how about using Ninjaflex to make a comfortable grip... Just my $0.02 worth.... PS: Well done.

[@nraynaud]

did you measure the delay introduced by your contraption? I don't play, but I believe arcade games are sensitive to timing.

[@Johnsarcade]

nraynaud1 I tried the device. And honestly, there is really no noticeable lag at all. It felt like real time.

[@Nevexo287]

This is awesome it's great too see the less able people being able to do things designed with people fully able to do them, whatd be awesome and have less clutter would be if the public could use like a debug port on the machines and do it cimputerized, thatd be a great troll too ;) anyways this was great I love projects that can help people do more things!

[@pezjme]

what did you do to your finger

[@KelvinSmoke]

I think if I was thinking of this years ago I would have also thought of a flightstick design, but if I was doing that today I probably would have tried a palm design like a mouse

[@93DavidJ]

Honest question.. not trying to be a dick... but didn't the guy say he shudders at the thought of a flight stick kind of design? isn't this the opposite of what he wanted? Or am I missing something...?

[@SebastianLambinon]

David Jeffers The shuddering was about the idea of REPLACING the controls on his home cabinets with flight sticks, I don't recall he's got anything against flight sticks. The John's Arcade video has an interview with Erie, I think I heard it there.

[@93DavidJ]

Ahh okay ^_^

[@joshuasprucie8933]

+David Jeffers (Forte) I would hate the idea of having to modify a perfectly good arcade cabinet since it might reduce the value and look weird

[@dochowell]

Bonus Contact reference!