RF Wireless trackball/controller - voltage requirements & am I crazy?

[Blakey]

My cocktail is nearing completion, there are pics in other threads (eg P1/P2 leds, cocktail plans, shinyest control panel ever).

I have a Benq RF wireless keyboard and mouse combo that I'll be using for maintenance/etc, but the mouse is essentially redundant as it's replaced by a Suzo hacked into a PS/2 mouse.

I suddenly thought, if I have a wireless ball mouse, surely I can hack it into a wireless trackball!

The mouse is powered by 2x1.5V AAA batteries, so I would presume the optics are low power, and I'd need 5V from another battery source to step up the trackballs output.

Then I thought - well what about player 3/4? Surely I could make up a control panel with the keyboard RF sender in it and wire the sticks/buttons to the keyboard matrix, there should be no voltage problems here.

I've searched the forums but found nothing, have wireless controllers actually been done before successfully?

I probably won't hack my keyboard, as I need it, but I could be convinced to box up a trackball/spinner and hack my mouse so I can play arkanoid vertically.

[RayB]

Did this ever go anywhere?