Steady hand game without circuit.

Hi all

I am currently designing a scaled up version of the 'steady hand game' (bent wire, looped wire and buzzer type thing). What I am trying to steer away from is a trailing lead from the hand peice, (a tennis racket), as this will just get in the way.

Does anybody have any ideas how I might achive this. My first thoughts were down the faraday switch route, with a capacitor in the handle of the racket??? or using a transistor as a switch but unsure if they require a circuit between emitter and base.

Any help or ideas would be fantastic!!!

Use a high frequency capacitively coupled to the wire via a high value resistor, the loop is just a piece of wire which shorts the signal to earth when you touch it.

And it's for use on a motorcycle (as stated on All About Circuits)

Sounds like a bad idea, is it for Mat Rempit?

blueroomelectronics said:

And it's for use on a motorcycle (as stated on All About Circuits)

Sounds like a bad idea, is it for Mat Rempit?

Click to expand...

Why would anyone want that on the back of their motorbike?

I agree, it sounds like a silly idea, if that's the plan.

Sorry to be a pain, but I dont think ill have a very good reference to earth, also the power supply will be battery. Am I asking too much?? I was think maybe some sort of signal generator in the handle of the racket, recieved at a control box via a single piece of wire, that creates the game itself.

I am a motorcycle instructor involved in a council run road safety open day. The idea of this is for advanced motorcycle riders to test their slow control skills, in a controlled environment!! I assure you all everything will be as safe as possible! Hence the need for no trailing lead!! Not for a toy mounted ON a motorbike! A 30' straight piece of wire to ride alongside.

blueroomelectronics said:

And it's for use on a motorcycle (as stated on All About Circuits)

Sounds like a bad idea, is it for Mat Rempit?

Click to expand...

I didn't know that the Malaysian BS population went through your news!! Seems that THAT is the word they have now, eh? Haha!!

You endorse driving a motorcycle with one hand?

For balance a simple egg in a spoon would be tough enough.
**broken link removed**

Again these will be advanced riders in a controlled environment.


So does anybody have any ideas and is willing to help??

Cueball1982 said:

Sorry to be a pain, but I dont think ill have a very good reference to earth, also the power supply will be battery. Am I asking too much?? I was think maybe some sort of signal generator in the handle of the racket, recieved at a control box via a single piece of wire, that creates the game itself.

Click to expand...

The trouble is, you need an earth connection on order for this to work. Maybe the chassis of a motorbike will provide enough capacitive coupling to earth?

I don't know, I've never done this before.

My only experience of this kind of thing is building an audio frequency 555 astable and noticing that the piezo made a quiet beep when I held one lead in my hand and connected the other to the output, despite the fact that I wasn't touching the rest of the circuit. I concluded that there must've been enough capacitive coupling between the circuit's power supply and I to provide a return for the signal.

Cueball1982 said:

I am a motorcycle instructor involved in a council run road safety open day. The idea of this is for advanced motorcycle riders to test their slow control skills, in a controlled environment!! I assure you all everything will be as safe as possible! Hence the need for no trailing lead!! Not for a toy mounted ON a motorbike! A 30' straight piece of wire to ride alongside.

Click to expand...

The length of the piece of wire might be a problem because it will radiate power away from it.

All you want to do is find a way to measure the impedance connected to the output of an oscillator, as soon as the impedance drops, it means something is touching the wire. You'll probably have to design and simulate the circuit but it probably still won't work when you build it so you'll need to calibrate it.

EDIT:
Is it just a straight line?

What about a mechanical solution?

A piece of fishing line stretched out with a switch connected to one end. When the tension on the line increases very slightly, the switch is activated and the alarm is sounded. You might need to use strain gauge if you want it to be really sensitive but the principle is still the same.

Thank you for your help!

If it's going to be too much hastle I'll go the conventional route, just thought it would be better without the flying lead. I did think mechanical but was worried about it being windy on the day! I think my best option is to run a second cable parallel with a short lead connected via a shackle which can slide along!

Wind might be a problem anyway because if the wire vibrates too much the game will be come harder and if the vibration is the same amplitude as the size of the hoop it'll be impossible!

Is the idea for someone to be riding a bike or scooter whilst playing the game?

A lead might be dangerous, if it becomes tangled in the wheels!

Wind shouldn't be a problem with the mechanical solution, unless you make it too sensitive.

The second wire will only be about 18" below the other, so with a short lead there should be no risk of tangles!

I have another idea which might work.

Use four pieces of enamelled wire twisted together, two for the positive and two for negative. After you've twisted them together, shave of the outer layer of insulation, then any metal hoop making contact with the wire should short between the positive and negative conductors and make a circuit. I don't know how well this will work, it's just an idea, you might also need to glue the wires together so they don't unwind and don't make the wire too thin or thick.

good luck buddy