ESP8266 LaserTag

History

Having played with the ESP8266 for a while, I realised that it was the perfect platform for building a cheap and simple LaserTag: The WiFi could handle all the comms, a simple server could keep track of the score, and everything could be done using HTTP Post.

Two light guns were quickly acquired and disassembled, a simple IR driver set up with 18 degree IR LEDs, receivers added and glued to the outside of the gun, a 0.96" OLED added, and it was tested.

Remarkably it worked beautifully. Waay better than I expected. Range was ample (I didn't even find what the maximum range was), and it was reasonably accurate.

The software was extended with a python game server that kept track of scoring, and some simple game logic on the guns, and it was good for a quick game.

However it quickly became clear that for this to work it needed to be taken more seriously:

• Prototype hardware was not robust enough (it needed to be bullet proof and repeatable, otherwise the game isn't fun)
• You need lots of audio/visual/touch feedback, otherwise you feel disconnected from the game.
• You need more than 2 guns

I rolled some PCB's to try to fix all this, received them, soldered one up, ordered a load of support components and... that's as far as I've got. I haven't even tested the PCB properly. It's crying out for some time to be taken further.

We've got a sensor module (with 3 IR sensors and some WS2812 LEDs for feedback, and the gun module with sound, rumble, proper IR LED drivers and WS2812 LEDs for feedback. But it all needs building, fixing and testing.

TBC...