Coffee Table / Arcade Machine

[riposte_18]

Morning all,

I'm currently in the process of designing a coffee table, with an inbuilt arcade machine inside (MAME emulation). I'm doing this as my wife will only let me put it in the house, if it blends well with the scheme of the house, hence the need to disguise it as part of the coffee table.

I think I've figured out the logistics of the main features I want in this arcade main, I've gotten pnuematic actuators for allowing the monitor bezel to lift out of the coffee table surface, and up to a more viewable angle during playtime. Similarly, I've also figured out how to hide the arcade controls away most of the time, and then fold them out when required for play time. I've attached a rough diagram of what I plan for it to look like, mocked up in sketchup, and I've checked the movement of components have enough clearance as well.

My main concern is just with the control panel. Now, by nature, coffee tables are fairly short. Our current one is just under 50 centimeters ... (convert by 2.5 division ... er 20 inches tall??), and at most, I think a coffee table 60 centimters tall / 24 inches tall, might not look too out of place. But my biggest concern is how to angle the controls that they play comfortably. The couch is already the same height as the coffee table at 50cm/20", which means I'll have to lean forward somewhat to reach the controls, and as a result, I've angled the controls downwards away from the user so as to support their wrists during play time. I think keeping flat controls or even upwards sloping controls would kill my wrists, and I already suffer from RSI somewhat. Note that the due to the nature of the design, the controls will be about 10 to 15 cm below the surface of the top of the coffee table, making it about 45 to 50 cm /20 inches off the ground, which is pretty damn low, and I'm already a short ass.

Now my question is this. Based on what I've mentioned about, and my attached diagram, how feasible does this sound to most of you? This sort of design is a fair bit lower than the standard cocktail cab, but I've seen many proud pictures of people's cocktail cabs, with dinner chairs at the controls, where the chairs seem to be at the same height or higher than the controls. How do most people find this? I'm fairly short as well, so having low controls isn't too bad for me, but how do taller people cope? would it be easier just to design a machine where I just sit on the floor to play? Suggestions, ideas, please, welcome!


Sorry for being kinda wordy, and all over the place. At work, and its hard to concentrate

[CheffoJeffo]

A couple of threads to get some ideas:

http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?topic=90693.0

http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?topic=55917.0

[BobA]

I think that in reality you have to sit on the floor to use a cocktail built mame cab if you want to save your back.

[Turnarcades]

I'm just trying to work out exactly how that's all going to fold away properly? Also remember that a flip-up design is not going to be watertight in the event of spillages....

[riposte_18]

Turnarcades - Oh, in the diagram, the box below the monitor was supposed to represent the amount of space it took once its folded back into the box, while the quarter cylinder inside the box is just supposed to represent the neccessary clearance while you're folding the arcade controls in. The out edge of the cylinder is the outer limit of the CP as it folds in, so it needs to be clear for the entire arc it traverses ... hmm, hope that made sense.

Spillages and drinks do concern me somewhat, especially since my wife is a bit of a klutz. I'm expecting that half way through the box, I'll put a waterproof layer of work there, with just a slightly raised hole that all the wires and everything travel through to the MB at the bottom. That way, if there's any spillage, and it seeps through any of the cracks or openings hopefully it'll be caught by a secondary layer to keep it all of the electronics ... still, its a concern as well..

Had a look at those links you gave me Cheffo, thanks, I had asked for similar ideas at other forums, but nobody had really seen other sort of prototypes. I had prevoiusly seen that Modern Arcade, which I drooled over, but it doesn't have the sort of dual functionality as a coffee table, I believe. Otherwise, ka-ching, mate, he could retire of the sales of those things

The one thing I find worrying is that they all look depressing low to the floor. One guy has a fairly tall looking black guy hunched over one, which looks very unconfortable, and the only one that's being played comfortably is by a kid! I saw TurnArcade's comments in that thread as well, about the monitor angle, which was why I wanted to be able to prop it up at play time, but maybe that's not even needed, based on the responses he got. Thank you Cheffo, I do appreciate your link.

all the stuff inside the box was represent the size of the

[leapinlew]

all the stuff inside the box was represent the size of the

Good job Cheffo - you scared him away. He couldn't even finish a sentence in his 2nd post.

[CheffoJeffo]

Even when I'm nice I scare them away ... maybe I should just go back to being grumpy.

 

The Modern Arcade link was intended to show what I think would be a better way to do a coffee table arcade (I guess I could have explained it, but that would have involved me doing stuff) -- using an LCD and having the entire top flip up. That way, the top can be a single piece and immune to spills.

[urbecrisch]

I'm currently in the process of designing a coffee table, with an inbuilt arcade machine inside (MAME emulation). I'm doing this as my wife will only let me put it in the house, if it blends well with the scheme of the house, hence the need to disguise it as part of the coffee table.

Just a suggestion...

Did you see Knievel's work?  This may be something to think about as it's as classy of a cabinet that you will ever see.  Not sure of your home decor, but this may blend in nicely and I guaranty you'll get compliments.  I'm sure you'll be able to stick it somewhere in the house and it would look sweet.

http://www.knievelkustoms.com/thewoody.htm

[Ummon]

You could always build an addition on to the house. Or live in different parts of it. Or get divorced.