Love Tiltable Maze Games? Then Build Your Own

If the video player is not working, you can click on this alternative video link.

Who doesn't love mazes? If you do, and you like to tinker around with electronics at home, then this Arduino-powered maze game will be right up your street. 

Love mazes and DIY Arduino-based DIY projects? Then you'll love this little piece of kit.

Like any project of this nature, you are going to need a few bits and bobs. For this build, you will need:

• Arduino Nano
• PS2 controller joystick
• 2 x MG90S servo motors
• Battery box
• Custom PCB board
• Cardboard sheets
• Double-sided adhesive foam pads
• MDF board
• Soldering Kit
• Screwdriver set
• Rotary tool
• 1/2 inch (1 no. 12 mm) spade drill bit.
• Electrical wires and soldering gear.
• PCB components

You can also get the full circuit diagram and files here.

The first step is to design and make the maze that you'd like your Arduino-based toy to run around. To do this, take your cardboard sheet and cut it into a rectangle roughly 5.9 inches (150 mm) by 8.3 inches (210 mm). 

Then sketch out your maze using a white pen or correction fluid on an equally sized piece of black paper, as shown in the video. Be sure sure to add a guide track through the maze to help you, or someone else, actually play the maze game once complete. 

Glue the maze to the cardboard sheet using whichever glue you have to hand. PVA works pretty well, for example. 

Once the glue has set, cut out the circular "traps" of the maze using a surgical knife or similar. 

Now, take some more cardboard sheets and make a small box of similar dimensions to the maze itself. See the video for more information on this step.

This box will house most of the electronics later to make the maze work. Next, cut some small strips of cardboard, and paint them black to match the maze.

Glue these to the maze layout in order to create some partition walls, as shown in the video. Next, grab your MDF board. Cut this down to the same dimensions as the maze you have previously built. 

Also cut a small block of MDF and glue it to the cut MDF board, as shown in the video.

Next, grab your servo motors. Glue one of them on top of the MDF block you had previously also affixed to the MDF sheet. 

Remove the plastic attachment piece from the servo axle, and glue it to a small piece of wood using superglue or similar adhesive. Trim off some of the edges, as shown in the video. 

Next, grab the other servo motor and also flue this to the piece of wood as instructed to do so in the instruction video. Once the glue has cured, attach this assembly to the previously glued servo on the MDF block. 

See the video for more details on this step. 

Now, take two more small strips of wood, glue them together, as shown in the video, remove and glue the other servo's axle attachment piece to the wood and reattach to the top servo. 

Again see the video for more details on this step. As now dimensions are provided, this will take a little bit of trial and error.

The next step is to create the main electronics gubbins. Either get a custom PCB printed or use a sandwich board to complete the circuit, as instructed.

Add the relevant electronic components to the PCB as instructed in the video and solder, as required. Now grab your Arduino Nano and attach it to the PCB. 

Now, grab the PS2 controller joystick, attach jumper leads and solder the other end of the wires to the PCB board as instructed. 

Affix using your double-sided adhesive pads, the joystick, and PCB board to the MDF board you have previously assembled. Watch the video for more details on this step. 

Now, grab the battery holder and affix this to the MDF board too. Add batteries and connect to the PCB board.

Now to sort out the Arduino Nano code. 

 And here it is in all its glory...

#include 

Servo servo1;
Servo servo2;
int joyX = 0;
int joyY = 1;

int servoVal;

void setup() 
{
servo1.attach(3);
servo2.attach(5);
}

void loop()
{

servoVal = analogRead(joyX);
servoVal = map(servoVal, 10, 1023, 0, 15);
servo1.write(servoVal);

servoVal = analogRead(joyY);
servoVal = map(servoVal,10, 1023, 17 , 34);
servo2.write(servoVal);
}

Next, upload the code to the Arduino Nano. 

Once complete, wire up the servos to the PCB board, as shown in the video.

With this stage complete, turn on the battery pack, and test out the joystick to see if you have set up the micro-electronics correctly. 

You should see a smooth movement of the servos in response to the PS2 joystick.  Once satisfied, affix the previously completed maze to the topmost servo assembly, as shown in the video.

With this stage completed, your Arduino-powered maze game is pretty much complete. All you need now is a small metal ball to use as the object of the game to escape the maze.

At this point, your Arduino-powered maze is basically complete. Now just power up the device and attempt to master the maze as best you can!

Good luck.