Xbox 360 - first person controller - right stick alternative

[72u7h]

For those that play with xbox 360 controllers and realize the right stick is not the most accurate thing in the world, there WAS a company (I say was, due to they will not return my phone calls) that was working on a controller for the xbox 360. Basically, the right stick was getting replaced with a trackball - yes you heard me right a trackball. This was considered as using your thumb to guide the trackball (with mouse accuracy) is much better than using a controller stick.


http://bodielobus.com/

Here is the link to what was going to be a awesome controller - but somehow they are not responding to anything, even after all the reviews and raving at E3 they recieved. You would think they would want to pursue this, but maybe the man got to them.


So I was thinking about it and started to take up this issue myself, and wondered if anyone out there ever thought about this or knows anything.

I understand the right stick is a potentiometer - ok thats understood and its analog.

if a trackball was put there that means it would have to be optical in order to read the surface - that's done in digital right?

Since when you roll left, you could be actually going right due to the reversal that is happening (not sure if this is actually an issue, or if a simple micro controller could just reverse this?)

the other issue is a trackball would have to have the ability to press down to simulate the click option that is available on the right stick

All the focus is on the trackball, the rest of the controller i am happy with.

Only thing about this is where to begin and if this is even possible. I know it's possible, but the whole analog to digital conversion and sampling so its smooth and accurate is a big concern.


anyone, anybody, anywhere have any idea on this? Im technically adept and I am ready to tackle the impossible.

thanks for the ear!


ps. i wrote ben an email a month ago, maybe he thought i was crazy or maybe he didnt have time - i dont know, i aint mad at ya.

[Adam G]

If I'm understanding correctly, which I think I am, wouldn't it be more feasible to cut up and size down an old "roller-ball" mouse and use it as the trackball? Seems like it would be readily prepared for you...

[72u7h]

the ball is not the problem i have balls (from a trackball you dirty kids!).


its the analog to digital conversion, and adapting it to read. Hopefully someone who can appreciate the technicality of this situation will answer.....

[Valium]

You could easily just replace the optics with potentiometers. I don't see any other ways to go about it, without making the controller huge and unusable.

[vskid]

You could easily just replace the optics with potentiometers. I don't see any other ways to go about it, without making the controller huge and unusable.

Potentiometers don't spin forever. If you made it so that it does use pots for a trackball, it would be the same as chopping the stick off and just using the rounded part.
You'll either have to have the rollers with the slotted wheels (like ball mice) or an optical sensor that is sensing the ball move (like optical mice). Neither seem like they'd be very easy to convert to analog.

[Adam G]

the ball is not the problem i have balls (from a trackball you dirty kids!).


its the analog to digital conversion, and adapting it to read. Hopefully someone who can appreciate the technicality of this situation will answer.....

I'm sorry about that, I wasn't thinking everything through, not I realize that you need the Xbox 360 controller to accept the signals you send and a mouse wont do that, sorry.

[72u7h]

the ball is not the problem i have balls (from a trackball you dirty kids!).


its the analog to digital conversion, and adapting it to read. Hopefully someone who can appreciate the technicality of this situation will answer.....

I'm sorry about that, I wasn't thinking everything through, not I realize that you need the Xbox 360 controller to accept the signals you send and a mouse wont do that, sorry.

hey no problem man. The issue is really having a trackball that acts like a mouse, which means translating analog to digital signal (sampling) to get a high enough precision for aiming.