Has anyone used a Gyration Mouse

[fogman]

I was looking for a compact keyboard to mount on the back plate of a 1-UP inspired 3 CP design, when I saw a Gyration Ultra mouse.  Basically a cheap wireless, tableless mouse.  So I was thinking, how about getting the mouse and installing it in a replica Star Trek TNG phaser and using it as a light gun.

OK, doesn't keep the original feel of ANY games, but what do you all think?  Does anyone have one of these that they are using with MAME???

Please let me know if you have, because I will only undergo this if I know it will be worth it in the end.

[PacManFan]

I was looking for a compact keyboard to mount on the back plate of a 1-UP inspired 3 CP design, when I saw a Gyration Ultra mouse.  Basically a cheap wireless, tableless mouse.  So I was thinking, how about getting the mouse and installing it in a replica Star Trek TNG phaser and using it as a light gun.

OK, doesn't keep the original feel of ANY games, but what do you all think?  Does anyone have one of these that they are using with MAME???

Please let me know if you have, because I will only undergo this if I know it will be worth it in the end.

I've used the Gyration Gyroremote before. It's pretty cool, you can just wave it around, and it's fairly accurate too, no jumping around. I never used it with mame though...
-PMF

[Lilwolf]

They aren't like light guns...

But they are much more like a joystick.

It's too bad that turning left and right could be used instead of side to side.  This would make them GREAT for hacking into a toy machine guns for T2 and other gun on a joystick games.

[fogman]

They aren't like light guns...

But they are much more like a joystick.

It's too bad that turning left and right could be used instead of side to side.  This would make them GREAT for hacking into a toy machine guns for T2 and other gun on a joystick games.

 
That is a GREAT idea.  Mounting them in the front of the gun would give you side to side!  Adjusting the x-axis sensitivity should make this doable!  The gun may look a little silly, but the T2 gun was pretty bulky in the front anyway!

[paigeoliver]

The T-2 gun is incredibly bulky. I have one sitting at home, and I don't know what to do with the thing, it is way too big to fit on any of my cabinets.

[Lilwolf]

I think you will have troubles getting the point left/right to translate to tipping left and right.  Without this, it wont be that good.

There are a few things you might try by putting the gyroscope inside and have it tilt somehow based on the direction you are pointing... But everything I can come up with sounds like a hack to me.

[1UP]

I found a review on this mouse HERE which you might want to read.  The reviewer actually states "it does begin to strain the wrist after using it for a while. This feature would be very useful in a presentation, but is certainly not for gaming."

It sounds like you have to press a button on the underside of the mouse (much like holding a phaser) in order to move the cursor with it.  This would allow a rough sort of calibration, but some hacking would be necessary so that you would not have to hold the button continuously while playing.

The biggest problem is that with any type of gun (such as a lightgun) that you can hold freehanded (as opposed to a fixed positional gun) the natural tendency is to sight the gun as you would a real gun, rather than using the onscreen crosshairs.  With positional guns, you tend to use the crosshairs like a laser-sight and just shoot from the hip.

Here's an example:  Try playing T2 with a mouse.  Move your targeting reticle to the center of screen.  Now pick up your mouse and place it back down in the middle of your mouse pad.  The mouse is now roughly calibrated, in that it will be in roughly the same position on the mouse pad as the reticle is on the screen--as long as you never let it touch the edge of screen, or let the mouse lift off the pad.

Now try aiming off screen, say, to the left.  The reticle stops at the left edge of screen while the mouse continues to move left on the mouse pad.  Now aim back toward the center of the screen.  Most likely, the mouse will no longer be centered on the mouse pad.  It must be calibrated again in order to be in correct alignment.

Now with the gyro mouse, you could basically do the same thing: stand in front of the screen, aim your gyro mouse at the crosshairs, then press the button that moves the cursor.  Assuming you've properly set the sensitivity in Mame to the proper settings, you'll probably get a somewhat accurate aim between the mouse and the crosshair--until you let your aim get sloppy and the crosshair hits the edge of screen.  Again, you have to continuously re-calibrate the gyro by releasing the button, aiming the mouse at the crosshair, then holding the button again.  If you thought having to calibrate the Act Labs every time you start a new game, consider recalibrating every few minutes or seconds!  

Lightguns exist for a reason.  And considering you can get 2 of the Act-Labs guns for less than the cost of the gyro mouse ($79.95) why would you bother with a hack that has so many problems?

[Lilwolf]

I was more interested in using one to build my own segway...

then I found someone who had...

I want a gas powered one that can go really really fast... and weights a ton so !@# the person I run over the big a!@# feet!  Get them back and out of my way!  YEAH!  

Of course... I think it might not really be as...well...stable as a car... and it might cost a bit more...  

well never mind...

And I got 2 true t2 guns on ebay for 30 bucks or so.  Keep an eye out and you will find a better solution out there.

[Krynos]

I use the gyration mouse in my home theater, great as a pointing device that needs no surface (though it is an optical mouse as well).

No good for mame gun games though, tried that out.

The problem is that it does not work relative to something else (ie the screen), only relative to where it last was.

- Krynos