Laser Dance Matrix: Hacked "Stepmania" DDR Simulator

Plug 'n' play Dance Dance Revolution (DDR) are video games like no other. The concept is pretty simple: shake your behind while dancing on the pad in order to lose weight. Without getting bored that is.

Well, here's a DDR that doesn't rely on pressure sensitivity as most pads do. The Laser Dance Matrix senses foot position based upon breaking the proper laser beams. Dancing also takes place on the floor (excepting Spiderman users). As you've probably expected, the prototype is USB compatible. Unlike normal DDRs, the Laser Dance Matrix requires a separate power source for the invisible laser beams.

The thing uses four 635nm red laser diodes with photo detectors as well as USB interfacing and circuits for laser beam detection. The USB interfacing is provided by a Cypress chip taken from a Logitech Gamepad. As you've probably guessed, movement detection is achieved using CdS (cadmium sulfide) photocells. Right! Plus, there are also two momentary push buttons-"Start" and "Back"-on top of the control box. Anyway, the laserpad was only designed to work with a hacked "Stepmania" DDR simulator.

Gameplay is similar to any mechanica-dance pad with the exception that the playing surface lies beneath the laserpad. A bottom press is triggered when the player's foot, hand or whatever part of the body interrupts the laser beam from shining upon the photocell.

The designer of this DDR, Dr. Evil that is, said that using lasers instead of infrared LEDs make this project "23% more cool". So, if you probably ask him what's up, he'll probably answer "23%!". More than cool, eh? The same doc. said that the thing will probably fall under the DIY "Do it Yourself" tag. Anyway, bullets are more effective than laser beams when it comes to making people dance. I'm 24% sure about that.

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