Arcade Machine Handicapable Redesign

[Hyde]

Just to go over what I have heard from everyone else, one of the following would be the best solution:

-Cocktail machine
-Candy Cab
-Bartop

Trying to modify an upright cabinet would be much more difficult and stressful than finding one of the aforementioned cabs. Plus, pretty much every popular classic game came in a cocktail version, so you would not be too limited there. Or, you could just have it wired up to Jamma and throw in a 48-in-1.

 

[Phetishboy]

Trying to modify an upright cabinet would be much more difficult and stressful than finding one of the aforementioned cabs.

Did any of you guys ever go to school or get assignments given to you that required your brain to be used to come up with creative solutions to a problem? Consider this a feelgood assignment for a hypothetical situation. If you have the imagination and drive to come up with something, please do. If you are lazy/ don't have time/ are easily irritated/ think I give a fuck about what you think to the contrary/ think handicapped folks should just 'suck it up' and not be able to have an upright video game cabinet designed for them, then just don't post. I am not sure why everyone needs to try and come up with a quick solution out of irritation-or needs to dismiss any thread that doesn't have the right amount of fucking back and forth, pile-it-on, non-arcade related drama in it. This place has become embarrassing. Good to see that there are still some folks around here that 'get it'.

Love,

John Merrick,
The ElePhet Man

 

[docfrankie]

well instead of modifing cabs or using other ideas that others used.
my idea is to have cabs that have a montior orintation that is perpindicular to the floor.
and a simple cp layout like just joystick and 1 button (like donkey kong)
and just make a gradual ramp up about 6-8 inches down a row of arcades with of course a rail behind so you cannot rolloff the ramp
but you enter/exit the ramp from the sides

there is no perfect solution but thats one idea

the other is to make a cp that can mount on the chair and have it be a wirless cp
and ahve it control the game and as for the monitor just make it connect to a lcd or pasma tv .
this is a whole new design basicly.

 

[cleverlyj]

here's another plan - what about a 'removable control panel'? more like a control box/joystick/whatever you want to call it. but something like maybe a 6"x8" box with a joystick and 2 or 3 buttons, or whatever the game calls for. maybe 2 per game, or for however many players and the most the game could afford spacewise.

you could use some type of easy retainer that would allow the control box to sit on/in the control panel snugly, yet be removed easy as well. and for cabling, use the cable style nintendo used for their light guns on the playchoice games, so it would be durable. maybe on a cable retractor, so that the cable would go back into the the game and not be there flopping around when not in use.



edit - you could build a recess into the control panel so the control box would sit there flush, and then have a small handle or pull for the disabled person to pull it out with.

 

[Tighe]

Transformable Accessible Gorf

Did any of you guys ever go to school or get assignments given to you that required your brain to be used to come up with creative solutions to a problem? Consider this a feelgood assignment for a hypothetical situation. If you have the imagination and drive to come up with something, please do. If you are lazy/ don't have time/ are easily irritated/ think I give a fuck about what you think to the contrary/ think handicapped folks should just 'suck it up' and not be able to have an upright video game cabinet designed for them, then just don't post. I am not sure why everyone needs to try and come up with a quick solution out of irritation-or needs to dismiss any thread that doesn't have the right amount of fucking back and forth, pile-it-on, non-arcade related drama in it. This place has become embarrassing. Good to see that there are still some folks around here that 'get it'.

Love,

John Merrick,
The ElePhet Man

My apologies, I didn't mean to offend you by suggesting a Candy Cabinet, I just thought it would work well.

So if the idea is to modify a cabinet to make it accessible:

I think a cabinet like your Gorf cabinet would be a good candidate for such a modification. Since the upper part is wider than the base the base could be made to fold under and transform the cabinet from standard height to wheelchair accessible height.

The only thing that would be a bummer in this the coin door would be at a 45 degree angle to the floor in the accessible mode. This wouldn't be much of a problem if the game is set to free play.

In the photo above I am suggesting that the base of the cabinet on the left be cut along the back lines. Then install metal bars so that the top can be lifted and pulled forward to rest at half of the base's original height. The part where the coin door is would hinge (forgot to draw the cut line for that) at the same level and end up at a 45 (not pictured doh!). There would be space for legs under the control panel this way. The whole thing could be motorized to make it easier to transform to accessible mode and back.

 

[Phetishboy]

My apologies, I didn't mean to offend you by suggesting a Candy Cabinet, I just thought it would work well.

So if the idea is to modify a cabinet to make it accessible:

I think a cabinet like your Gorf cabinet would be a good candidate for such a modification. Since the upper part is wider than the base the base could be made to fold under and transform the cabinet from standard height to wheelchair accessible height.

The only thing that would be a bummer in this the coin door would be at a 45 degree angle to the floor in the accessible mode. This wouldn't be much of a problem if the game is set to free play.

In the photo above I am suggesting that the base of the cabinet on the left be cut along the back lines. Then install metal bars so that the top can be lifted and pulled forward to rest at half of the base's original height. The part where the coin door is would hinge (forgot to draw the cut line for that) at the same level and end up at a 45 (not pictured doh!). There would be space for legs under the control panel this way. The whole thing could be motorized to make it easier to transform to accessible mode and back.

Now you are talking.

 

[mhanlen1]

Do you like fish sticks?

 

[VectorJunkie]

I'm thinking that something like a slant top slot machine style would work best. Opening it up below the arm rest would make it more like a table and bar top.

 

[Tighe]

Now you are talking.

Great, was my explanation clear? So are you actually going to make something like this? That is exciting!

 

[VectorJunkie]

Namco demonstrated a game that was wheelchair accessible.

 

[Tighe]

Namco demonstrated a game that was wheelchair accessible.

Damn! Wangan Midnight 3! I love that game!

 

[MasterFygar]

I think a pull-in 1st person dogfighter would be cool. Pull the wheelchair in, rise it to the desired height from the monitor with a hydraulic platform, and play. Something like Afterburner would work well in this cab. The height is to give the illusion of flight, and expanding/contracting pedestals inside either side of the platform would slightly tilt it to give a (safe) feeling of flight as well. The monitor would be slightly tilted. While not portrayed in the picture (since it would obscure the rest of it), it would be enclosed on the sides and a piece of wood in the back would slide into place to lock the person safely in place.

 

[ElfShotTheFood]

due to the viewing angle of most cabinet monitors, there is no modifying a cabinet, the answer is a completely custom cabinet. a candy cab or poker style cab won't really work well because of the angle of the monitor would suck for someone in a wheelchair, unless you are going to lift the chair three feet in the air.

the real answer is something like a cockpit without the seat portion, and with a cp that can come forward like pulling out a drawer. sorry I don't have a good art program installed on my netbook, so a cameraphone pic of a rough sketch will have to do.

as you may be able to see ( maybe not ) the angle of the monitor is unlike any cab around, but it is situated at an angle that should be ok for people in a chair. a nice big screen will help with the feeling of being in the game. the cp that slides in and out can come to the player and be adjusted to wherever is best for the player..

I did not draw any other views but the design in my head is like a double wide cockpit two players side by side, one of which is in a wheelchair, because no kid wants to play alone. an overhead speaker or two should sound really cool, and maybe still have a marquee.

 

[MikeM80]

Do you like fish sticks?

LMAO. Ur a gay fish

 

[Tighe]

I think a pull-in 1st person dogfighter would be cool. Pull the wheelchair in, rise it to the desired height from the monitor with a hydraulic platform, and play. Something like Afterburner would work well in this cab. The height is to give the illusion of flight, and expanding/contracting pedestals inside either side of the platform would slightly tilt it to give a (safe) feeling of flight as well. The monitor would be slightly tilted. While not portrayed in the picture (since it would obscure the rest of it), it would be enclosed on the sides and a piece of wood in the back would slide into place to lock the person safely in place.

The only thing about lifts in front of cabinets is that it is offensive to some people in wheelchairs to be lifted. It is more polite (I don't know how to put it) if the cabinet came down to their level. Imagine if you lifted a person up to you eye height to talk to them.

Wheelchair etiquette (required reading at an old job)
http://www.dizabled.com/wheelchair-etiquette/

due to the viewing angle of most cabinet monitors, there is no modifying a cabinet, the answer is a completely custom cabinet. a candy cab or poker style cab won't really work well because of the angle of the monitor would suck for someone in a wheelchair, unless you are going to lift the chair three feet in the air.

the real answer is something like a cockpit without the seat portion, and with a cp that can come forward like pulling out a drawer. sorry I don't have a good art program installed on my netbook, so a cameraphone pic of a rough sketch will have to do.

as you may be able to see ( maybe not ) the angle of the monitor is unlike any cab around, but it is situated at an angle that should be ok for people in a chair. a nice big screen will help with the feeling of being in the game. the cp that slides in and out can come to the player and be adjusted to wherever is best for the player..

I did not draw any other views but the design in my head is like a double wide cockpit two players side by side, one of which is in a wheelchair, because no kid wants to play alone. an overhead speaker or two should sound really cool, and maybe still have a marquee.

In my suggestion of a cabinet that would fold down enough so that the person could play I don't think there would be a problem. In fact all candy cabinets in Japan are played in a sitting position. The monitor angle is not an issue.

Your suggestion comes off looking like a vulture, and a little scary to enter. I also think it would cause neck discomfort.

 

[MasterFygar]

The only thing about lifts in front of cabinets is that it is offensive to some people in wheelchairs to be lifted. It is more polite (I don't know how to put it) if the cabinet came down to their level. Imagine if you lifted a person up to you eye height to talk to them.

That brings up an interesting concept--what if the monitor, rather than the player, tilted for effect?

 

[Tighe]

That brings up an interesting concept--what if the monitor, rather than the player, tilted for effect?

But why would it need to tilt at all? 127,560,000 Japanese can't be wrong!

 

[TK_Monkey]

The thing that jumps out at me is an MK1 or similar cabinet. Take several inches off the bottom, move the kick panel back a bunch to accomidate someone pulling into it and hinge the control panel to be able to lift up for pulling up/out of it, then drop into place for actual gameplay. Would also probably require adding to the side of the cabinet by the monitor to tilt it enough to make viewing at that height decent instead of angled away. I'm for shit with drawing though so I got nothing on the diagram front.

 

[cleverlyj]

well, how bout this? this is based on my second idea, and again, no pics, but...

a centipede style cabaret, so the monitor is straight looking at you at a lower level, and also the marquee is lower to eye level. have 2 controllers the style the colecovision had, so they pull out of the control panel for handicapped accessibility and then sit back in when not in use.

i thought of the hinge idea as well, but a hinged control panel would probably wear out after a while and break.

so here's a crappy pic... i suck at photoshop, and used paint.

 

[modessitt]

Yeah, you just need to make the controls accessible to a seated person without undue stretching or reaching, and the monitor at a height that makes viewing easy.

I patterned this (below) after the Space Invaders cab, with a wider front and a shorter height. Depth would be about the same. Coin slot moved up next to the monitor to be more accessible. Inset monitor allows control panel to be mounted in front without extending out from the cab. Control panel height would be about 2.5-3' off the floor, about the same height as a table. Should allow enough room for chair and legs underneath. Speakers above monitor like most cabs. Enough room up top for a marquee, and room around the monitor for a bezel. Adapt different classic cab artwork designs for the sides (Stargate, Pac-Man, etc) and you're good to go.

(I suck at sketchup - which is why there is no art on it - and apparently I can't share it for others to modify for their own use as I apparently either don't have a Google account or have forgotten how to login. if you'd like a copy of this to modify with art and such, pm me an e-mail and I'll send the file.)