DIY Virtual Reality Skateboard

This is a really fun and easy project that can be done in about an hour. On the bottom of the skateboard is an accelerometer/gyro with an Arduino board that transmits the angular motion of the board via Bluetooth to a little VR game I made in Unity for Android phones. So, when you turn on your Arduino and the bluetooth connects with your phone, you start moving forward. Lean left and you go left, lean right and you go right. Lift up the front wheels and your character will jump. This only works for Android phones and your phone must be compatible with Google Cardboard. So, if you have an old skateboard laying around, turn it into a virtual reality snowboard. 

Step 1: What You Need?

1 x Arduino Leonardo or Arduino UNO  
1 x Mini Breadboard

1 x USB Type-B Cable 
1 x HC-06 Bluetooth Module 
1 x MPU-6050 Accelerometer /Gyro
1 x 9V Battery Holder with On/Off Switch 

Male-to-Male Jumper Wires 
Female-to-Male Jumper Wires
1 x Computer with Arduino IDE
1 x Google Cardboard Style Virtual Reality Headset 
1 x Skateboard
4 x Tennis Board ( to keep from rolling away) 
1 x Soldering Iron and Solder
Hot Glue Gun 
Screw And Nuts 

Optional

Cable Cover
Arduino Compatible UNO Ultimate Starter Kit / Learning Kit
USB To Power Jack Cable

Don't have components? Don't worry. Just click the component's name. 

Step 2: Assemble Your Device

Assemble your device as shown in the picture above.

You will need to solder the header pins onto the MPU-6050, if your soldering iron is new and the tip is clean this can be done in about 11 seconds. If your soldering iron tip is dirty and old this will quickly become the hardest thing you have ever done (speaking from experience).

Make sure the orientation of everything is exactly as shown in the pictures above so you do not have to get into the code and edit anything.

Attach everything to you skateboard EXACTLY as shown (really just make sure the MPU6050 is facing the same direction as the picture).

Here I glued the battery box to the board with hot glue and screwed the Arduino board down. I used an old school board because a wider board is better for the purposes of this experience. It is pretty hard to balance on a board while in virtual reality.
The Leonardo works much better for this.

Note: If you are using an Arduino Uno all the connections are the same except:
SDA goes to A4 and SCL goes to A5

Step 3: Upload The Code 

IMPORTANT: Unplug the RX and TX pins before uploading the code to your board. 

Step 4:Download app to your phone

Download apps: Here

You will need to go into your security settings and allow apps to be installed from unknown developers.

Make sure to pair the Bluetooth module to your phone, do not change the default name (HC-06). The password should be 1234.

Notes:
If enough people make this I can try to make a better snowboard game, or make an actual skateboard game depending on what I get requests for.

When your turn on your Arduino device make sure the skateboard is flat on the ground and then open the app. As soon as the Bluetooth connects you will drop in.

If the Bluetooth becomes disconnected, restart the app (it is set to connect at the start of the app only, for right now).

Download:

Arduino IDE
Apps 

Source: https://www.hackster.io/MatthewHallberg/diy-virtual-reality-skateboard-097bf4?ref=platform&ref_id=424_trending__intermediate_&offset=95

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My Robot Education Sdn. Bhd. (Robotedu.my) was founded in 2015 as the first robotics education centre in Malaysia to provide Arduino-based robotics courses for youths. Our vision is to be able to provide robotics education to every youth in Malaysia.