Sip-puff-joy
I built a DIY Quad-Stick assistive controller designed for people with limited mobility. It uses a mouth-controlled joystick with built-in sip-and-puff, plus a second stick with four directional buttons operated by the jaw. The controller includes LED indicators for visibility and a tripod mount on the bottom for stable positioning. It allows users to play games or navigate a computer affordably and hands-free.
Supplies
3D print all provided parts with a recommended infill of 12–15%.
Downloads
Download the provided code and upload it to the Arduino.
Downloads
First, take the base plate and attach rubber bands to the provided slots.
Next, solder jumper wires to the four tactile buttons and place them into their designated slots. The other ends of the jumper wires should be male connectors to plug into the PCB. (Note: the tactile buttons included may appear smaller than those shown in the images, which are from an early prototype.)
Once complete, hold the chin-controlled switch in place using two rubber bands inserted into their slots, then super-glue the cover over it.
Now glue down the joystick plate, making sure to leave enough room for the cover.
Push the joystick into place.
Melt the 3D-printed tabs and press them down onto the joystick to secure it.
Insert the mouthpiece and feed the sip-and-puff tubing through, leaving about 9 inches of slack.
Attach female jumper cables to the joystick’s male pins.
The other ends of these jumper cables should be male connectors to plug into the PCB.
Finally, install the cover.
Now feed all necessary wires through the back wiring cover and glue the wiring cover piece to the main plate.
Melt the plastic on the top with a soldering iron to create the holes for the two indicator lights.
Solder jumper cables to both wires on the sip-and-puff.
The other ends of these jumper cables should be male connectors to plug into the PCB.
At this point, you should have the sip-and-puff, four buttons, quad joystick, and two lights ready to connect to the PCB.
Finally, use the provided wiring diagram to complete all connections.
Now place a copper tripod insert on the end of your soldering iron, wait for it to heat up, and push it into the provided insert hole.
Once this is done, feed the USB wire through the back cover, plug in your Arduino, and slide the back cover into place.
Your next step is remapping, now that everything is assembled, you can move on to remapping. Go to this site and plug in your Sip-Puff-Joy, then connect it to the site. Assign each button to the function you want it to perform. Once you’re finished, select Apply All.