Trenchmill

A treadmill-controlled first person shooter

Developed: September 2014 - May 2015
Tools used: Unreal Engine 4, C++, Python, Adobe Audition

Trenchmill is a World War I first-person shooter with a difference; where other games are content to simply use a controller, Trenchmill receives input from a variety of devices, including a treadmill, a heart rate monitor, and a Wiimote in a gun casing. Movement on the treadmill corresponds to movement in the game, with the Wiimote providing the player a tangible method of combating virtual enemies. The heart rate monitor adjusts the game in real-time based on the player’s performance, ensuring that the experience is tailored to each individual according to their abilities.

Trenchmill was built by a team of 6 over the course of the academic year, from pitching our original ideas to the final demo day. My contributions to the project included:

• Integrating the speed determined from the treadmill into the game itself
• Designing and implementing the initial No Man’s Land level
• Combining the various levels into one seamless game, including maintaining a persistent connection to all devices
• The overall sound design of the game, including sound effects
• Having the intensity and orchestration of the music adapt dynamically based on the player’s speed and heart rate
• HUD and post-processing design and implementation
• Miscellaneous programming and bug fixes

Sam Healer

Software engineer. Occasional musician. Erstwhile comedian. Cultural omnivore.