mbed takes Angry Birds to the next level with homemade slingshot controller

I get it. People love Angry Birds and everything related to Angry Birds. It’s arguably the most popular iOS game in the world, and it’s become one of the most highly recognizable brands. Some people, it seems, take their game a little more seriously than others. Case in point: the homemade slingshot controller created by mbed.

The real wood controller was made using a 3-axis accelerometer, a microcontroller, a USB B connector, and a stretch sensor. Now obviously, this isn’t a simple DIY project. You’re also going to need to be fairly well versed in physical math coding, and, I’m sure, various other sciency things that I don’t have the brain capacity to even try to understand. What I can gather, though, is that the stretch sensor is used to measure the elastic part of the slingshot, and the accelerometer is most likely used to detect and translate the movement of the controller from your hand to inside the game. Or something.

However, for those of you who fancy yourselves as rocket surgeons, the creators of this nifty little accessory have posted a complete tutorial on how to create it yourself in the comfort of your own home. For science!

Elle is a writer from Ottawa, Canada. The time she doesn't spend writing is often spent photographing her cat.