A multiplayer arcade controller built from random electronic components and scavenged computer parts.

As an anti-consumerist, I am a firm believer in upcycling. Twelve years ago, when I worked at Computers for Schools, I started collecting a few parts (cpu fans, heatsinks, LEDs, switches, etc) that would otherwise had ended up at the landfill. A few years later, I bought joysticks and buttons on the local buy and sell and forgot about it until I started cleaning the garage a month ago.

That’s how the August 2022 challenge came up: Creating something cool by upcycling parts and materials found in the garage without buying new products.

  • Project: Arcade controller
  • Materials: MDF, electronic parts, Raspberry Pi4 8GB
  • Year: 2022
  • Cost: $50 for HDMI and USB cables