Hasta La Gadget!

RoboTouch isn’t so much a commercial product as it is a pet project of some folks at ProtoDojo who were looking for a way to combine their favorite console controller (the NES controller,) with their favorite touch-screen gaming platform (the iPad.) 

The gadget is actually a series of small robot arms that accept controls from an Arduino board that the NES controller is plugged into. Press the A or B buttons and different arms tap different parts of the screen. Use the directional pad and different arms on the other side of the iPad tap the screen there corresponding to your character’s movement controls. The video behind the jump shows one of the inventors using RoboTouch to play a game of Reckless Racing. 

Admittedly, the arms would have to be repositioned around the screen and re-tested depending on the game you’re playing. If you have a virtual on-screen joystick that requires you move your finger in a circle or requires constant contact to work, it might be tricky to use. Still, RoboTouch isn’t the kind of project you should expect to see on store shelves anytime soon: but if you love DIY projects and would get a thrill out of playing iPad games with an NES controller, this is the project for you.