Someone turned a child's toy into a game controller using a Raspberry Pi, and it's really cool

by
url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url url

Key findings

  • A $5 Paw Patrol toy can be turned into a video game controller using a Raspberry Pi without causing irreversible damage.
  • The inventor, Dr. Tom Tilley, made sure that the toy's original hardware was preserved throughout the project.
  • The process is non-invasive and allows for easy restoration of the toy to its original condition.



What would you do if you got your hands on a cheap electronic kid's toy? If you're a tinkerer, like most in the Raspberry Pi community, there are probably a thousand different ways you could turn a cheap plastic device into something more awesome with a few extra boards, some soldering, and some programming. As it turns out, someone discovered that a $5 toy makes a great video game controller if you tweak it properly. But the best part is: the process is so noninvasive that you can return it to its original toy state if you need to.


Someone turns a $5 Paw Patrol steering wheel into a video game controller

In an interview with Tom's Hardwarethe device's inventor, Dr. Tom Tilley, shared what inspired him to create this project. When he saw the $5 Paw Patrol toy steering wheel in a thrift store, he came up with the brilliant idea of ​​converting it into a video game controller using a Raspberry Pico – something our own Daniel Allen has done in the past. He used the Pi to send his controls to a laptop that emulated the game Super Hang-On to create a pretty cool arcade-like experience.


It may be disheartening to see someone take something that could bring joy to a child and turn it into a controller, but don't worry. Dr. Tom Tilley took great care in creating this project to preserve the original hardware in the toy. The only irreversible damage done to the toy is a small drill hole created to power the Raspberry Pi inside the case. That being said, Dr. Tom Tilley states that you can always revert the toy back to its original hardware once the kids take over the controls.

If this has sparked your nostalgia for retro gaming, why not check out how someone revived a PS1 using a Raspberry Pi?



Leave a Comment