ROTATOЯ - Triple Force Feedback Wheel Controller

We've built a controller that explores rotary movement with force-feedback in a multiplayer setting. Players turn three stacked steering wheel discs, which are connected to motors to provide directional feedback from the game.

The motorized controller is driven by an Arduino and hooked up to a Unity3D game environment, where it controls a set of minigames that demonstrate the concept in a variety of settings.

If existing at all, accurate and directed force feedback has long been relegated to niche applications and been exclusively single-player. With this controller, we want to bring several people to play together and look at how force-feedback influences local co-operative or vs-style gameplay.

In the current prototype, two of the three discs have been motorized, all three wheels will support force-feedback in the near future.

There are several game concepts that use circular control patterns. We're developing a small number to showcase the versatility of the controller:

1. Space-ship control: three individually tiltable rocket-boosters have to be coordinated to fly the ship to its target.
2. Open a safe: move dials and feel the feedback to find the right combination
3. Peristalsis: A particle movement simulation where each wheel influences the shape of the world.

We're brainstorming other games, such as a car race, a turret defense game, a super hexagon tribute, and a satellite finding/tuning game.

Petri Autio - Ideas, Unity side, assembly

Robin Baumgarten - Ideas, hardware electronics, wood working