!!Con 2021 - Bang Bang!! Hacking Switch Controllers to Play Rhythm Games Using... by Nathan Kiesman

Taiko is a Japanese drumming tradition that dates back thousands of years, and has enjoyed a resurgence of popularity in the last decade. It is also the subject of an insanely cute rhythm game called “Taiko no Tatsujin”! However, unless the arcade version can be found, the player is stuck waving their controllers around, playing an imaginary drum. That is, unless this intrepid player has a homemade taiko drum, a microphone, a Teensy microcontroller, a rudimentary understanding of signal processing, and (optionally) access to a Target store. Learn about one of the most powerful and easy to use hobbyist microcontrollers, how computers can understand sound, and most importantly - how to Bang Bang! in style! Nathan is a student at Columbia University (Go Lions!) studying electrical engineering and computing history, and is also president of the CU Taiko Club. When not working on problem sets, he’s generally exploring retro-tech, enjoying long walks on Maine’s beaches, creating and sharing art, wandering aimlessly around the World Wide Web, and telling terrible jokes. One project he’s working on right now is documenting XBAND, a defunct and recently resurrected dial-up network for the Super Nintendo.