Ben Heck creates breath-controlled drum pedal for Guitar Hero World Tour

by Griffin McElroy { Mar 4th 2009 at 2:31PM }

Last June, Kinetic Communications created a clever workaround for wheelchair-bound gamers who possess a penchant for Rock Band drumming, but were unable to use the kit's kick pedal due to their disability. Ben Heck, modder extraordinaire, recently did the same for the Guitar Hero: World Tour set -- however, rather than attaching an extra button to drumsticks, Heck found an altogether brilliant method of using the set's foot-activated percussion: He made it breath-controlled.

It took a fair amount of fancy engineering, but Heck recently uploaded instructions to his blog that show how to remove the pedal's piezoelectric sensor, and make it respond to air pressure rather than, well, foot pressure. You can get further details on the modification, as well as a video of Heck giving it a test run, on his site. It's definitely an intriguing idea, though it more or less prohibits the drummer from simultaneously singing, making Phil Collins role-playing a near impossibility. Still, great work, Ben!

[Via Engadget]

Tags: ben-heck, drum-pedal, drums, guitar-hero-world-tour, handicapped, mod

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

Justin McElroy @ Mar 4th 2009 12:37PM

Next, can Ben Heck create an alarm that goes off every time a differently-abled gamer blacks out in the middle of a big drum fill?

Vegnagun bwf @ Mar 4th 2009 2:35PM

Oh Justin, first you call for the extermination of Diabetics, now you're kicking the wheelchair folk when they're down.

Tank @ Mar 4th 2009 2:36PM

Imagine how many people will black out trying to play GH Metallica on Expert+

Misframed @ Mar 4th 2009 5:16PM

I thought the picture looked like a breathalyzer attached that drum set... "I'm sorry you are too inebriated to play drums." ... but what would be the fun in that?

Deck @ Mar 4th 2009 2:33PM

Wow that's really cool! Hopefully this will help some people. Nice job Heck!

Eric @ Mar 4th 2009 2:41PM

Why is he playing GH and not Rock Band?

Hafk @ Mar 4th 2009 3:39PM

Because some people play more than one game?

Besides, Rock Band's drum pedal uses a magnetic switch. You could do a mod like this, but it would have to either be complex, or you would have to wire a different switch.

False @ Mar 4th 2009 5:02PM

Why are you trolling?

WINterfang @ Mar 4th 2009 2:41PM

Ben heck is the son of Chuck Norris.

Felipe @ Mar 4th 2009 3:15PM

Ben Heck is the son of MacGyver

corrected.

Dirty @ Mar 4th 2009 2:41PM

Expert Challenge: Shove it in your ass and play with your farts.

Markez @ Mar 4th 2009 2:44PM

Thanks for imagery. Ugh. xD "Why are you bare-assed in the living room playing Rock Band?"

Hyams @ Mar 4th 2009 3:31PM

Markez, you mean you play videogames with your clothes *on*?

religiousjedi @ Mar 4th 2009 4:08PM

No wonder you're Dirty...

*braces for barrage of kicks to come raining down on me*

SugarDaddy @ Mar 4th 2009 2:44PM

Gross. Can you imagine the amount of spit after a 2 hour rock sesh?

Dirty @ Mar 4th 2009 3:25PM

You think thats gross, try my expert challenge. Your gonna need a lot more than a spit valve.

Ignatius @ Mar 4th 2009 2:45PM

So now we're going from air-guitar to air-drumming?

BlaqueBeird @ Mar 4th 2009 4:01PM

Badum-PSH!

Geist @ Mar 4th 2009 2:48PM

I'd prefer this over the pedal. My feet hurt something fierce after using the damn thing.

Scooter @ Mar 4th 2009 2:51PM

How long until someone hyperventilates on This Calling?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BLIsjNI01ok

Rhamsey @ Mar 4th 2009 2:59PM

ben heck is crazy, i wish i won that 360 laptop.

Burritoclock @ Mar 4th 2009 3:44PM

I'm sick of people in wheelchair's getting all the cool stuff, they already don't have to walk anywhere. It just ain't fair.

Dirty @ Mar 4th 2009 4:39PM

I suggest just sitting in a wheelchair. I dont think anyone would call you out on it, unless you get involved in some sort of dirty rotten scoundrels, something about Mary, type situation..... then your goose is cooked.

Moofree @ Mar 4th 2009 3:53PM

Soon we'll have blink+mouth controlled drum kits and TTY relays for singing.

ScottG13 @ Mar 4th 2009 4:08PM

Ben Heck: awesome guy. Can we be friends? For realz?

Cena @ Mar 4th 2009 4:09PM

An excellent and unique solution to a common problem. Well done, Mr. Heck. Well done.

Lee @ Mar 4th 2009 6:18PM

I was just watching the Bone Collector too.

ZeroCorpse @ Mar 4th 2009 7:23PM

Now THIS is a mod. It significantly changes the device and improves upon it in a way that is valuable to the end user.

Sticking a computer's guts inside of a Yoda puppet or some other geek toy is NOT a mod. THIS is a great mod, and it shows that Ben Heck knows more about modding than most people who stick their crappy "tech-inside-a-favorite-toy" mods on the Internet begging for attention.