PunchOut gives a new meaning to pillow fighting

The PunchOut Pillow is one of the most unique computer game controller I have ever seen. Instructables user Kirton describes how to transform a ordinary pillow into a punch taking fight pillow to play Mike Tyson’s Punch Out game for the NES into a full-body workout with real feedback.

Unlike the ‘air punching’ experience one gets with the Wii controller, the foam filled PunchOut pillow provides a comfortable, not too hard punching material.

10 impact sensors (= 10 buttons for up, down, left, right, a (x2), b (x2), select and  start) are placed around the foam core of the pillow.

The sensors are made using metallic tape sticked on cardboard and have wires (could be also conductive yearn) attached on the metallic surface with another piece of metallic tape. Two of this metallic tape covered cardboard’s are put together with a piece of foam between.

It’s as simple as that yet effective; a punch/pressure sensor of minimalistic design. The sensors are then wrapped in a sponge to make them more rugged. The sponge will take most of the punching and kicking force while staying rigid enough to not continuously compress the sensors.

The instructables explains also how to hack a NES game controller to work with the PunchOut Pillow, it’s simple, just solder the different wires from the sensors to their counterpart on the controller board.

Want to know what the Punch Out game looks like? Follow this link and play a round though – only with the PunchOut Pillow your whole body is in action not just your mouse hand.

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