Hopefully someone who reads this will know about cap sensors and how they work.
Here's the image file that shows how I would arrange the cap sensors and what the device would look like, of course without the interpreter that would translate the input to emulate analog input if so desired, or just make it digital. I will need a bit of help designing the interpreter:
Let me explain how it works. In the top part of the png, the quarter circle looking thing is the cap sensor. The yellow is the shielding, the red if the charged plate and the blue is the neutral plate. The swirls are springs that are placed on each cap sensor, and then the cap sensors are arranged into a circle. Next, the light blue thing is a plastic shield that will be hinged from the neutral plate and will be attached to the springs. The idea is that if you press on it close to the center of the entire device, it will barely dip into the dielectric and disrupt the electric field caused by the cap sensor only a tiny bit, and if you press on the plastic farther away from the center of the device, it will dip even more so into the field. The green thing is just something to go in the center so that the surface of the primitive touch screen is smooth when not being touched.
Where I will need help is in making and programming the mini-computer that will translate the input. To simulate analog input, the more the plastic disturbs the electric field, the faster the frequency that the mini-computer will complete the corresponding circuit so as to cause the short to make the DS register a button press. The frequencies will range from not registering a press at all to only a press with no breaks in between.
Like so:
Press break break break press break break break press. That would be one example of a frequency.
Another is:
Press press press.
Another is:
Break break break.
There will also be a switch to make the primitive touch sensor entirely digital in its input to the DS.
I also would like to have the mini-computer made in such a way that in case the dielectric (the air in this case) has a massive change, say, in water content, then the user can run a calibration. I'm thinking that it will work by comparing the non-touched results of the primitive touch screen with the results of the touch screen pressed to the max on each cap sensor.
Soo....
Any ideas?
