Arduino Icy Tower Motion Controller

A revolutionary way to play the nostalgic game Icy Tower using motion controls! This Arduino-based project creates an immersive gaming experience by detecting your head movements and translating them into game controls.

🎯 Project Overview

This project transforms the classic Icy Tower game into a motion-controlled experience using two Arduino units:

Transmitter Unit: A wearable device (designed as a hat) that monitors player movements
Receiver Unit: Connected to your computer to send keyboard commands to the game

The system detects head tilting (left/right movement) and jumping motions, wirelessly transmitting these actions to control the Icy Tower character.

🛠 Hardware Requirements

Transmitter Unit Components

Arduino Board (Arduino Uno, Nano, or compatible)
MMA8452Q Accelerometer - For motion detection
RF Transmitter Module (433MHz recommended)
Power Supply (Battery pack for portability)
Wires and Breadboard/PCB

Receiver Unit Components

Arduino Leonardo/Micro (required for HID keyboard functionality)
RF Receiver Module (433MHz, matching transmitter)
LEDs (3x) - Visual feedback for movements:
- Left LED (Pin 7)
- Right LED (Pin 5)
- Jump LED (Pin 6)
Safety Button (Pin 12) - Enable/disable control
Wires and Breadboard/PCB

Additional Requirements

Computer running Icy Tower game
Hat or Head-mounted Setup for transmitter unit

📚 Software Requirements

Arduino Libraries

VirtualWire Library - For RF communication

Install via Arduino IDE Library Manager: Search "VirtualWire"

SparkFun MMA8452Q Library - For accelerometer

Install via Arduino IDE Library Manager: Search "SparkFun MMA8452Q"

Wire Library - I2C communication (built-in)
Keyboard Library - HID functionality (built-in with Leonardo/Micro)

Game Requirements

Icy Tower game installed on your computer
Game should be active and focused when using the controller

🔧 Installation & Setup

1. Hardware Assembly

Transmitter Unit Wiring:

MMA8452Q Accelerometer:
- VCC → Arduino 3.3V
- GND → Arduino GND  
- SDA → Arduino A4 (SDA)
- SCL → Arduino A5 (SCL)

RF Transmitter:
- VCC → Arduino 5V
- GND → Arduino GND
- DATA → Arduino Pin 12

Receiver Unit Wiring:

RF Receiver:
- VCC → Arduino 5V
- GND → Arduino GND
- DATA → Arduino Pin 11

LEDs:
- Left LED → Pin 7 (with 220Ω resistor)
- Right LED → Pin 5 (with 220Ω resistor)
- Jump LED → Pin 6 (with 220Ω resistor)

Safety Button:
- One terminal → Pin 12
- Other terminal → GND

2. Software Installation

Download Arduino IDE (if not already installed)
Install Required Libraries (see Software Requirements)
Upload Code:
- Upload Transmitter.ino to the transmitter Arduino
- Upload Receiver.ino to the receiver Arduino (must be Leonardo/Micro)

3. Calibration

The motion detection thresholds are configurable in the transmitter code:

// In detectLeftOrRight() function
const double RightDetected = 0.3;   // Adjust for right tilt sensitivity
const double LeftDetected = -0.3;   // Adjust for left tilt sensitivity

// In detectJump() function  
const double JumpDetected = -0.2;   // Adjust for jump sensitivity

🎮 How to Use

Setup Process:

Power on both units (transmitter and receiver)
Connect receiver unit to your computer via USB
Mount transmitter unit on your head/hat
Launch Icy Tower on your computer
Press and hold the safety button on receiver to enable controls

Playing:

Tilt your head LEFT → Character moves left
Tilt your head RIGHT → Character moves right
Jump/nod downward → Character jumps
LED indicators on receiver show active movements
Release safety button to disable controls

Safety Features:

Safety button must be held to activate controls (prevents accidental input)
Visual LED feedback confirms movement detection
Serial monitor output for debugging (115200 baud)

🔍 How It Works

Motion Detection Process:

Accelerometer Reading: The MMA8452Q continuously measures acceleration in X, Y, and Z axes
Movement Analysis:
- Y-axis movement detects left/right head tilting
- Z-axis movement detects jumping (downward acceleration)
Threshold Comparison: Movements exceeding predefined thresholds trigger actions
RF Transmission: Movement commands are sent wirelessly to receiver
Keyboard Simulation: Receiver translates commands to keyboard inputs for the game

Communication Protocol:

The system uses a simple enum-based protocol:

enum MoveToSend{
    LEFT,           // Tilt left detected
    RIGHT,          // Tilt right detected  
    JUMP,           // Jump motion detected
    NOTHING_JUMP,   // Stop jumping
    NOTHING_SIDES,  // Stop left/right movement
    NOTHING         // No action
};

Code Structure:

Transmitter (`Transmitter.ino`):

Motion Detection: detectLeftOrRight() and detectJump() functions
RF Communication: sendData() function transmits movement data
Continuous Monitoring: Main loop processes accelerometer data

Receiver (`Receiver.ino`):

RF Reception: Receives movement commands via VirtualWire
Keyboard Control: Translates commands to arrow key presses
Visual Feedback: Controls LEDs based on active movements
Safety Control: Only processes commands when safety button is pressed

🔧 Troubleshooting

Common Issues:

No Response from Game:

Ensure receiver Arduino is Leonardo/Micro (required for HID)
Check that safety button is being held down
Verify game window is active and focused

Erratic Movement:

Adjust motion detection thresholds in code
Check accelerometer wiring and power supply
Ensure stable mounting of transmitter unit

RF Communication Problems:

Verify transmitter and receiver are on same frequency
Check antenna connections and range
Ensure both units are powered properly

LEDs Not Working:

Check LED polarity (long leg = positive)
Verify resistor values (220Ω recommended)
Test LED connections

Serial Debug Output:

Connect to the receiver's serial monitor (115200 baud) to see real-time movement detection:

LEFT
RIGHT  
JUMP
JUMP NOTHING
LEFT RIGHT NOTHING

🤝 Contributing

Contributions are welcome! Here are some ideas for improvements:

Enhanced motion detection algorithms
Wireless range improvements
Additional game compatibility
3D printed enclosures
Battery optimization
Calibration interface

📝 License

This project is open source. Feel free to modify and distribute according to your needs.

🎊 Credits

Inspired by the classic Icy Tower game and the desire to create immersive motion-controlled gaming experiences.

Have fun playing Icy Tower like never before! 🎮✨

OriBraverman/Arduino-Project