QWOP is absurd, frustrating, and for some strange reason, very addictive. Controlling the runner's muscles presents players with an enormous challenge, and over time we've seen a handful of heroes finish it. Now... would it be possible to reproduce QWOP in real life? The Hacksmith channel decided to answer that question, and the result is a system that combines Arduino hardware, two 24-volt batteries, and many electrodes.
Like any Flash-based game, QWOP had its peak of popularity and then "normalized", so to speak, but it never left the scene entirely. We still find things like memes and videos, but someone asked a very strange question: How viable is it to reproduce QWOP in real life? I imagine most of our readers already know its game mechanics. Controlling the runner's muscles is almost a nightmare, and unless there's a lot of practice, you'll only advance a few centimeters. Of course, that didn't stop The Hacksmith channel on YouTube from developing an improvised system based on electrodes (better said, electroshock therapy), and sending a bit of electricity to whoever served as the guinea pig...
Essentially, the circuit consists of an Arduino controller (the Nano version or a direct clone should work), which interprets signals from a USB keyboard with the help of a compatible shield, and controls four or five MOSFETs (the video shows four, the official page shows five), which in turn regulate the power sent to the electrodes. The system is portable and uses two 24-volt batteries. In theory, the maximum is 48 volts, but The Hacksmith recommends not exceeding 24V, because the experience is already painful enough that way.
And no, there's not much coordination to speak of in the runner. In fact, a good part of the session is spent on the floor, writhing in pain. This reminds me of a certain soccer match with electroshocks. A torture for players, but we can't help laughing, and something similar happens here.
