Functional Ab buttons?

[kupertrooper]

Has anyone attempted to make the ab buttons funtional as a button?

[Sonnenschein]

To do what,for example?

[Darth Hilarious]

I've head this question thrown around a few times. Not that I know of, but it'd be totally doable (if a bit of an effort).

 

A lot of people ask "Why bother/what's the point?" but I'd tend to disagree.

You could hook them up to a RomFX or some such, it could be really handy.

 

All you'd need is some suitable buttons (7/16"), and some wiring and some electronic skills.

[kupertrooper]

Electronics are kind of a side hobby of mine. I want each button to play a different mp3. This is simple to do with an Arduino and a mp3 shield and buttons. I don't know where the heck you would find buttons that would match or how you would mount them without them looking out of place.

[Brent]

I think I heard someone suggest using a magnetic reed switch hidden behind the buttons and a small magnet in your glove. Something to give the impression that the buttons work without actually changing the appearance.

[Darth Hilarious]

Well, if you've got the electronic skills, sourcing buttons would be the challenging part!

 

I also have no idea where you'd get the right buttons from.

There's two possibilities I can think of:

 

1) Scour the internets until you come across the right button readily available from some electronic part supplier. BAM! But goodluck finding them...

or

2) Combine the prop-making aspect and make an appropriate button. You could use a billet button style (like VaderDave's), and make a spring-mounty thingy with a microswitch (or just a smaller pushbutton) which they click onto. Most commercial products take this kind of appraoch, bigger buttons pushing littler ones (look down where your hands are for a really common product that uses this approach ) Alternatively you could have a small, surface mounted button with a soft/semi-soft cover over it to give the proper appearence (this method is probably easier, but more likely to look dodgy).

 

I also tinker with electronics on the side, but only very simple circuits (guitar guts and pedals)

 

I think I heard someone suggest using a magnetic reed switch hidden behind the buttons and a small magnet in your glove. Something to give the impression that the buttons work without actually changing the appearance.

That is totally cheating That would work, too. In fact, that would work anywhere in the armour- you could use such a system for a fan on/off in your lid, for instance...

[tkrestonva[TK]]

To do what,for example?

 

Have you ever played with the action figures that have simple, built-in electronics that can activated with the push of a button located, for instance, on the action figure's back? Push the button - he says something cool!!

 

Button #1: It's them - blast them!

Button #2: Move along, move along.

Button #3: The Death Star plans are not in the main computer.

Button #4: There's one - set for stun!

 

Etc, etc, etc.

[kupertrooper]

I think I heard someone suggest using a magnetic reed switch hidden behind the buttons and a small magnet in your glove. Something to give the impression that the buttons work without actually changing the appearance.

 

That's a really good idea. I may have to look into that.

 

It would be hard not to trip the other switches but I can account for that in the programming. I'll tell the arduino to only start after a switch has been tripped for 2 seconds etc.

Edited September 13, 2012 by tkuper05

[Brent]

The individual buttons on the ab plate might be hard to separate, but Jimmy makes a good point, you could have buttons hidden anywhere so if you don't have enough there you can spread them out a bit.

 

If you try it, show us pictures. I've been considering some similar stuff and I'd love to see more examples of cool electronics hidden in armor.

[Locitus[Admin]]

+1 on the reed switch.

 

If you're going to do it, do it in a way that doesn't show from the outside.

[Darth Hilarious]

If you're going to do it, do it in a way that doesn't show from the outside.

 

I was thinking it would be possible to make it appear as it should, while retaining function. As I said though, that would be a real challenge.

 

The reed switch is not only simpler to do, but more flexible.

 

+2 on the reed switches When I was trying to think of making the actual buttons work I was thinking inside the box, if you will. As soon as Brent mentioned the reed switch,

Edited September 13, 2012 by Darth Furious

[RampantLion[TK]]

I nearly posted a thread yesterday with the same question! Please make a how to thread if it works out well. Good luck!

[kupertrooper]

I will definitely be doing this.......once I've built my armor. It is going to be awesome. Totally doable. I really want to make a product to sell here on the forums. Maybe I can make kits to make this available for the FISD masses.

[MisterFubar[TK]]

Could the button plate be pulled in something softer and more flexible instead of HIPS or ABS? The visible buttons themselves could just be a cover for a small momentary pushbutton hidden under/behind it. Kind of like the rubber cover over the switch on a maglite.

[Locitus[Admin]]

I suppose it could, but there's no one doing it that I know of.

[DizzyStormtrooper[501st]]

you could cast it in silicone and have buttons underneath, or drill out the buttons and replace them with the rubber on/off button covers from maglight flashlights (they pop right out with a firm fingernail or tweezers)

[gmrhodes13[Staff]]

Had been thinking of this one, didn't know anyone else was, thought of using a white silicone to make the plate and have switches underneath, think it would be awesome

[kupertrooper]

I have a pretty cool setup on my breadboard. If I put a magnet about .5 inches away from reed switch A, The Imperial March plays. If I put it over reed switch B, it plays the 501st loop. If I put it over reed switch C, it stops whatever is being played. I just need my armor so I can go from prototype to functional.

 

As Darth Furious pointed out, you could use this to turn your fans on and off. I'm going to work on this next using a relay.

Edited September 25, 2012 by tkuper05

[Brent]

For fan control I was thinking of what type of connector to use going in to the helmet. I would want it to be easy to attach/detach with gloves on. Does anyone know if you can get a magnetic connector like Apple uses for power supplies? Ideally you would want to run enough pins for at least fan power control + mic audio. Any other ideas?

[Daetrin[Admin]]

John Danter made ears with switches. This would be pretty cool too to toggle an FRS or a cell phone, or even mp3 player.

[Locitus[Admin]]

Sounds like you're talking about the good old Troopercom. A small circuit board with a reed switch in the ear that switches between audio to the amp or audio to a walkie talkie for event coordination.

[stormtrooper_build]

came across this on youtube....

 

[Spectre]

That's pretty nice.

[kupertrooper]

After getting approved by the 501st yesterday, WOOT!, I decided to work on this. Here is what I have so far. I would like to gauge the interest in these and I may develop something to offer here on the forums.

----------

Edited March 1, 2022 by gmrhodes13
link not working removed

[Locitus[Admin]]

Pretty neat!