You can use the inputs on CodeBug with the tethered mode to control your computer. Using PyDance you can then build your own arcade dance game with simple foil and foam mats.

Make sure you have followed the ‘Tethering CodeBug With Python’ guide before trying this activity.

Note: You need your foam to be reasonably spongy and about 1cm thick. You can cut up plastic film folders to use for the plastic sheets.

	CodeBug
	Raspberry Pi
	Micro USB cable
	Double-sided tape
	Single-sided tape
	Plastic sheets
	Foam sheets
	Kitchen foil
	Wires

Print out the templates and cut them out. Use your plastic sheet template to cut 8 pieces from your plastic sheets.

Cut 8 pieces of wire of 15cm in length. Remove 1cm of the plastic covering from both ends of the wires.

Wrap foil around one end of each piece of wire. Stick the foiled end of the wire to the edge of a square (7m x 7cm) of foil. Flip the foil square over and using double-sided tape, stick it in the centre of the plastic cut-out (with the wire coming out by the extended part of the plastic sheet). Stick the wire to the plastic sheet with a couple of pieces of tape. Do this for every plastic sheet.

Using the foam template, cut your foam into four 10cm x 10cm squares, with a 2cm hole in the center of the square (as on template sheet).

Sandwich each piece of foam between two of your plastic sheets (with the foil touching the foam), making sure the foam completely covers the foil (except for the hole in the foam). Stick the edges of the 2 plastic sheets together with a strong glue or single-sided tape.

Test your mats with a battery and an LED, by using the mat as a switch, pressing down on the mat should light up the LED.

You can print and cut out the arrows template to make your mats look great. Have the arrows facing away from the wires of the mat.

First update your Raspberry Pi’s software in a Terminal:

sudo apt-get update

sudo apt-get upgrade

Install PyGame onto your Raspberry Pi:

sudo apt-get install python3-pygame

Download the PyDance program files:

wget https://icculus.org/pyddr/pydance-1.1.0.zip

Unzip the files:

unzip pydance-1.1.0.zip

Move into the PyDance directory:

cd pydance-1.1.0.zip

Install the library and a dependency:

python setup.py install

sudo apt-get install gettext

You will need to use super user permissions for the next part, so change the super password:

sudo passwd root

Type raspberry each time.

Now make the install using the superuser password you just created:

su -c 'make install'

Move into the PyDance user directory:

cd ~/.pydance

Make a songs folder and move into it:

mkdir songs

cd songs

Download a test song (music and steps) into this directory:

wget http://icculus.org/pyddr/forkbomb.ogg

wget http://icculus.org/pyddr/forkbomb.dance

Look here for more songs to download.

It is best to test that PyDance is working correctly at this point, so start the graphical environement:

startx

Open a Terminal and start PyDance:

cd ~/pydance-1.1.0

./pydance

Click the Play Game button (you will need to use the arrow and enter keys on your keyboard).

By pressing enter, select "4 panel" then “single” then “normal” then “Forkbomb”.

Test PyDance is working by pressing the arrow keys on your keyboard, the corresponding arrow on the screen will turn white (or green if you hit it when a blue step is on it).

To interface with PyDance we need to write a tethered CodeBug Python program.

We need to install a Python module that will allow us to generate the arrow keyboard strokes that you need to play PyDance, but first we need to install Pip to be able to install the modules::

sudo apt-get install python3-pip

sudo pip-3.2 install python3-xlib

sudo pip-3.2 install PyUserInput

Create a python program called codebug_dance.py or download it here:

nano codebug_dance.py

And fill it with the code below.

from pykeyboard import PyKeyboard

import time

keyboard = PyKeyboard()

import codebug_tether

cb = codebug_tether.CodeBug()

keys = [ 'Up', 'Right', 'Left', 'Down'] 

pressed = [ False, False, False, False]

while True:

    for i in range(4):

        if not cb.get_input(i):

            if not pressed[i]:

                keyboard.tap_key(keys[i])

                pressed[i] = True

                time.sleep(.01)

        else:

            pressed[i] = False

This code checks if a CodeBug input has been connected to Ground and generates one key press each time the input is pressed.

Connect a wire from each mat to the GND leg on CodeBug. Then connect the other wire of each mat to one of the numbered legs on CodeBug.

In one window start up the CodeBug program:

python3 codebug_dance.py

In another window startup PyDance:

cd pydance-1.1.0

./pydance

You can make PyDance fullscreen by pressing "F11" on your keyboard.

Test your CodeBug dance game is working by stepping on the pads, the corresponding arrow on the screen will turn white (or green if you hit it when a blue step is on it).

Install more songs and challenge your friends. You could even make another dance mat, set up another CodeBug and go head-to-head dancing at the same time.

You could find other uses for your mats, such as foot-controlled keyboard shortcuts! Change the "keys" list in the CodeBug Python code to achieve this.

Checkout the CodeBug Photographer with Raspberry Pi activity for instructions on how to make a pressure sensitive mat that you could use to trigger your camera.