"Piso-pad"

[RTF]

I don't see any discussion of this pad here so I thought I'd bring it up, I just came across it the other day.

http://royconejo.host.sk/

It's a design that eliminates any pressure sensors - the contacts are left exposed and you connect them with aluminum tape on your shoe. I imagine this could be very durable and usable even for the most intensive use. Response is near-instantaneous and reliable with a good rail pattern(if I did this it'd be a more complex pattern than that guy uses)

The only issue would be in properly securing the tape. People who do triple and quad steps in ITG by sliding - or even DDR songs with a lot of jumps - would probably rip apart tape very quickly. For the pad this could be solved by using metal plates instead, but what about your shoes?

[latindude88wpg]

it somehows resembles the ghetto ddr pad, with the only difference that it works.

i'm just concerned about leaving the contacts exposed. wouldn't they wear out a lot quicker? and also the tape on your shoes would wear out quite fast.

what if you like to play barefeet

it may be worth giving it a try. you could even make it into a usb device. after all, you're just closing a circuit.

[slvrshdw]

yeah, that does remind me of the ghetto ddr pad too...haha

thats a cool idea, but it may not hold up so well...but i should try it

[noise_tank24 ▶◀]

i'm building this pad on my unfinished basement floor right now, and with a little bit of practical modification, I think it can turn out VERY well. The piso-pad doesn't have to look like a piece of crap if it's built well. If you make the pieces of tape used thick enough, you won't have any problems with the tape coming up. That stuff is a little more heavy duty than you might think.

ALSO, if you are serious about making one of these, I couldn't find the aluminum foil tape anywhere besides the home depot, cat5 cable is overrated and too expensive, and if you don't already have a db15 connector, you'll have a hard time finding one at your local radio shack . They did, however, have the resistors I needed.

[omee66]

Well, if anyone still cares to try to many this pad, I've made it and I'll give it a short review .

Anyways, here is how much the supplies cost me:
(all in CAD)

Aluminium Foil Tape: $6.99
Bunch of assorted resistors: $2.99
Cat5: Free from my dad's work.
DB15: Since my dad works in a computer store, he got some ordered for 40 cents each.

I basically put it together on cardboard. I cut two large cardboard pieces up and glued them together. I made the side contacts huge, and made little crossing strips in the middle. The whole process didn't take long at all.

I then made it neat by securing the tape pieces around the cardboard and hiding it. It makes it all look less messy and pretty much helps you lower the risk of ripping apart any of the wires.

The pad works AMAZINGLY. Seriously, you wouldn't believe how great it works. You don't have to use yards and yards of tape on your shoes IMO, I use a little 3 inch square strip (on my socks ) and it works just fine.
Seriously, people judge the pad by the looks. It doesn't have to look like crap.

If you want to play barefeet, then there are some modding ideas. I've tried to lay out pieces of cardboard squares ontop of each arrow, but sort of make it lift. When you step, it decends and closes the contacts, but comes back up.

There is a lot of possibilities. I merely used this as an excuse to learn how to solder ect, but I now have a pad. I've used this with STEPMANIA and it works just great. If anyone needs any information about this from me, I happy to answer .

[limekat]

I can't read Spanish and I'm interested in making this homepad work =]] so could anyone translate this image: http://royconejo.host.sk/img/cabliado.png for me? Also; is the pad removeable without... anything permanent being left marked on the floor?

[omee66]

There isn't much to the image. I just glanced over it, basically, it is telling you how to wire the whole board. The wire that you used for pin 4 (that you soldered to the 4th pin on the DB15) shall be first attached to the left strand (of foil) to every arrow.

As for the other numbers, it is saying that the wire that you used for pin 2 needs to be attached to the right strand of the top arrow (and so on).

As for floor question, yes. It all matters how you design and lay it out. There isn't anything that would stay on the ground permanently. If you were really that worried, you could use a hot glue gun and glue two pieces of cardboard together. Then, add little slip resistant thingies to the bottom and direct the wires along the edges of the board. That way, you have a portable, yet non-damaging board ^^:

[limekat]

Sorry; sent the wrong page. This: http://royconejo.host.sk/img/soluciones.png

Thanks for that explanation =]]

[omee66]

You're welcome. I went through that too, having to decipher the text he wrote. I know how frustrating it is to have it in a different language. Plus, I don't think he'll ever fix that, it seems he hasn't editted the site since 2002.

Anyways, you should know that when you are making the pattern with the different strands of foil, putting the tape ontop of another will not conduct. So he offers this solution, that you bend the end (of the foil that is on top). This way, there will be some shiny stuff on the bottom too. Then, simply tape a piece on top. This will allow the both pieces of foil to conduct.

Glad I could help. Any other questions, don't hesitate to ask ^^

[Freaksta]

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