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  • Author Author: tariq.ahmad
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From Strava to Motion: Creating an Arduino-Powered Arcade Game with Running Data -- Episode 607

Following on from building an air hockey table, Lorraine is recreating another classic arcade game: the Derby. Instead of horses racing along a track, it will be runners! Find out how to download your running data from strava and move a runner along a track in competition with your family and friends. This project involves a bit of everything: 3d printing, laser cutting, coding in C and using motors with the Arduino Wifi board.

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Bonus Content:

Bill of Materials

Product Name Manufacturer Quantity Buy Kit
DFROBOT Micro DC Motor, TT Geared, Encoder, 6V, 160RPM, 120:1, L Shape, Arduino Board DFRobot 4 Buy Now
Expansion Board, Quad DC Motor Driver Shield, Arduino Development Board DFRobot 1 Buy Now
Microswitch, Miniature, Long Hinge Lever, SPST-NO, Quick Connect, 16 A, 8 V Omron 4 Buy Now
Single Board Computer, Arduino Uno WiFi, ATmega328P, 14 I/O, 48KB Flash, 6144Bytes SRAM, 256Bytes Arduino 1 Buy Now
Rocker Switch, On-Off, SPST, Non Illuminated, Panel Mount, Black, PRA TE Connectivity 1 Buy Now
DC Power Connector, Socket, 2.1 mm, Chassis Mount, Solder Pro Signal 1 Buy Now
AC/DC Power Supply, Level VI, 1 Output, 15 W, 5 VDC, 3 A Multicomp 1 Buy Now
Pin Header, Right Angle, Board-to-Board, 2.54 mm, 1 Rows, 6 Contacts, Through Hole Right Angle AMP - TE CONNECTIVITY 1 Buy Now
Jumper Wire Kit, Male to Female, Multi-Coloured, 200 mm, 0.1" Dupont Connector, 0.2 mm² Multicomp 1 Buy Now
 

Additional Parts:

3mm laser acrylic for box, supports and runners
3d printed pulleys
3d printed supports for motors and runners
Timing belt 6mm, 640mm long x 4

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  • To make it multifunctional you could perhaps create a user interface to it so as you can play the original Derby type arcade game when not viewing Strava running data. To take it one step further you could make it networked a Derby game by being able to link multiple games units over the Internet. The user interface could either be like the traditional balls into pockets game or perhaps a touch screen interface. Could perhaps even try a haptic device where the longer you hold a ball-shaped button down, the greater the force feedback gets before you release, creating a virtual ball roll.

    I guess there is also potential to turn it into a more generic linear display indicator type device. It should scale up quite well for use in larger displays, especially outdoors where other displays may not be suitable.

  • in reply to beacon_dave

    I loved the traditional balls into pockets game. 

Comment Children
  • in reply to lorrainbow

    There is more tactile involvement with rolling a ball I think. Also a bit more uncertainty in getting the ball into the best pocket. However there is a tendency to lose things if they aren't physically attached. 

    I guess you could revisit your coloured ball through a basketball hoop project so that you have to match the ball colour to a hole colour to score higher.

    Any project using balls up a slope will likely be bulky though and require some element of levelling before use, which is why I suggested a virtual ball roll instead. Also if doing a networked game then a free ball setup would be too easy to cheat with unless you had machine vision to detect cheating.