2

CAN I HACK IT?

A Nerf Gun

Can a Nerf gun be modified and used in a microcontroller / computer project?

Les Pounder

@biglesp

Les Pounder is a maker
and author who works
with the Raspberry Pi
Foundation to deliver
Picademy. He also
helps teachers/learners
to become creative
technologists. He blogs
at bigl.es

YOU’LL NEED

Nerf N-Strike

Elite Stryfe

COST

£15.99

WHERE

smythstoys.com

on-Expanding Recreational Foam,

better known as Nerf, has been

with us since 1969, originally

created by Parker Brothers, but

now owned by Hasbro, as a safe

alternative to harder plastics for

use in toy weapons. Nerf has been made into many

forms of weapon, from swords and crossbows to fully

automatic sentry turrets, but the iconic Nerf dart – a

foam dart with a rubber tip – is the most popular and

pervasive. There are many guns that use these darts,

the majority of them using a tension spring to launch

the projectiles over vast distances. However, for this

issue, we will take a look inside a battery-powered

semi-automatic blaster, and see how it works and

how we can modify it for use in a toy hacking project;

for example a Twitter-triggered Nerf turret, or as part

of a cosplay concept for conventions.

GENERAL CONSTRUCTION

The gun is constructed of heavy-duty thick plastic

that can easily be drilled to accommodate internal and

external modifications. The chassis is held together

with 17 Phillips flat head machine screws, measuring

approximately 10 mm. This enables easy access to

the internals, as there is no glue and no ultrasonic

welds that need to be broken. The N-Strike range

uses a series of add-ons sold separately, which

offer expanded parts (scopes, extended magazines,

and stock) that slot on to the gun using a H-shaped

connector. This can easily be used with 3D printed

parts – just take careful measurements and ensure

strict tolerances.

BATTERY POWER

The gun is powered by 4 × AA batteries, which can be

rechargeable or alkaline cells. This gives us between

A Nerf Gun

Can I Hack It?

N

Right

Fluorescent

orange, highly

accurate and

easy to hack; the

Nerf Stryfe is an

ideal platform for

cosplayers and

makers alike. It

runs on 4 × AA

batteries, but can

be used with LiPo