Jump Rope Simulator
The fully-automated, touch-less fitness arcade that measures real jump air-time and turns physical play into a crowd-pulling competition — on a 55″ 4K portrait touchscreen kiosk.
1 What’s in the box
Your Jump Rope Simulator ships as a complete, ready-to-run package. Check that all parts are present before installation.
55″ 4K Portrait Kiosk
Large vertical touchscreen monitor in its stand, with a Windows PC that boots straight into the game.
Infrared Sensor Array
Touch-less beam unit that detects every jump with millisecond precision. No moving parts.
Control box
The intelligent heart of your machine measuring jumps, calculating height,speed,rythm etc. .
Jump Mat
Marks the play spot and works with the sensor to know when a player is in position.
Game USB Stick
Contains the game, media and your high-score data. Pre-installed and set to auto-start.
Power & Cables
Mains lead for the kiosk plus the sensor connection cable.
Keep the USB stick in place. The game, all music/video and the high-score records live on it. If it is removed the kiosk cannot start the game.
2 Quick start in 5 minutes
- Position the kiosk & matPlace the touchscreen kiosk where it is clearly visible. Lay the jump mat in front of it, within 2 metres of the sensor.
- Connect the sensorPlug the infrared sensor array into the kiosk PC (USB). Point it across the jump area so the beam crosses where the player will jump.
- Plug in powerConnect the kiosk to mains power.
- Switch onPress the power button. Windows starts and the game launches automatically into the attract screen — no login or menus needed.
- Play!When you see “STEP ONTO THE MAT TO START”, you’re live. A short status bar may show for 30 seconds while the sensor connects, then fades away.
That’s it. Set-up typically takes 5–15 minutes. The machine is designed to run unattended all day.
3 Installation & placement
Choosing a spot
The 55″ 4K screen is designed to draw a crowd, so place it where passers-by can see both the screen and people playing. Allow clear, safe space around the mat for a jumping player and a few spectators.
Sensor & mat alignment
The jump area and sensor can be placed anywhere within 2 metres of the kiosk. Aim the infrared beam so it crosses the player’s body at jump height. When the player is standing on the mat the game shows the player as detected; when they leave, it clears.
Avoid strong direct sunlight or other infrared sources pointed at the sensor — they can interfere with beam detection. Indoor or shaded placement is best.
First power-on check
On boot you should reach the colourful attract screen. The small status line at the top-left shows the sensor connection for the first 30 seconds and then fades. If it reads “connected”, you are ready.
4 How to play
- Step onto the matThe game detects the player and begins a short countdown.
- Stay on the mat for the countdownHold position until “GO!”. Stepping off too early shows “STEP BACK ON THE MAT!” — hop back on in time and the countdown continues.
- Jump!Make smooth, steady jumps for the duration of the round (30 seconds by default). The screen shows live air-time, jump count, height, speed and a style grade.
- See your resultsWhen time is up, your achievements appear. Beat a leaderboard score and you’ll be invited to enter your initials.
- Next playerThe screen returns to the attract loop, ready for the next jumper.
Coaching tip for guests: small, steady, rhythmic hops score the best style grade and avoid the “hop smaller” air-time penalty. It’s about rhythm, not big leaps.
5 Game modes & metrics
Every round captures the same rich data, presented through three themed lenses so the game appeals to casual players, fitness fans and the data-curious alike.
🎉 FUN
Rhythm & style focus — total air time, best jump and a live A+ to G style grade.
💪 FITNESS
Effort & endurance — total jumps, highest jump and your live leaderboard ranking.
🔬 SCIENCE
The physics — take-off speed (m/s), average speed and total vertical distance travelled.
What gets measured
| Metric | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Accumulated air time | Total time spent off the ground during the round. |
| Best jump | Longest single jump (air time) of the round. |
| Total jumps | Number of clean jumps completed. |
| Highest jump | Greatest jump height, calculated from air time. |
| Take-off speed | Launch speed in metres per second. |
| Average take-off speed | Mean launch speed across all jumps. |
| Total distance travelled | Combined up-and-down vertical distance over the round. |
6 Scores, style grades & leaderboards
Style grade
While playing, a live grade from A+ (PERFECT) down to G (WARM-UP) rates how steady and rhythmic the jumps are. A plain-word label appears under the letter so the grade is clear to everyone, including colour-blind players.
Leaderboards & initials
The machine keeps an all-time leaderboard and a “Today” leaderboard that resets automatically each morning, so there is always a fresh competition to win. Land a top-10 score and an on-screen keyboard invites the player to enter three initials — classic arcade style, fully touch-operated.
Daily reset: the “Today” board rolls over overnight, giving repeat visitors a new chance to top the chart each day. All-time records are kept alongside it.
Abnormal jump protection
If the beam is blocked for too long (an unusually long “air time”), the game shows “TOO LONG IN THE AIR — HOP SMALLER!” and applies a small time penalty. This keeps scores fair and honest.
7 The attract loop
When nobody is playing, the kiosk runs an eye-catching attract loop to pull players in: an animated title, the FUN / FITNESS / SCIENCE high-score pages, the named leaderboard, and the game rules — all over a randomly chosen background video with attract music. After a few minutes idle, the screen gently dims to protect the panel and instantly wakes when a player steps up.
8 Operator / admin panel
Operator settings are hidden behind a secret gesture so the public cannot reach them. There are two ways to open the admin panel, both from the idle attract screen:
5 taps in the corner
Tap the top-left corner of the screen 5 times quickly. A numbered ring confirms each tap; on the 5th, the admin panel opens.
Wiggle & click
Move the mouse left–right–left–right, then click the round ADMIN button that appears in the top-left corner.
What you can change
| Setting | Range | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Game time | 10–120 s (default 30) | Length of each round. |
| Music volume | 0–10 | Background music level. |
| SFX volume | 0–10 | Sound-effects level. |
| Attract audio | On / Off | Music while idle (mute for quiet venues). |
| Reset high scores | Confirm | Wipes all leaderboards (two-tap confirm; cannot be undone). |
Tap CLOSE to save and return to the game. All settings are remembered between power-cycles.
Keyboard shortcuts (if a keyboard is attached): – / = music volume down / up · [ / ] SFX volume down / up. These work even during a game.
Play analytics
Every completed round is logged to jumprope_play_log.csv on the USB stick (date, time, jumps, scores). Open it in Excel to see plays per day and your busiest hours.
9 Customising music & video
You can freshen the look and sound without any technical know-how. On the USB stick are three folders:
| Folder | What goes in it |
|---|---|
| background_animation | Background videos (.mp4). One is chosen at random for each game and across the attract loop. |
| game_music | Music tracks (.mp3) played during rounds. |
| attract_music | Music played while the machine is idle. |
Drag & drop, that’s all. Drop new files into a folder and they are automatically added to the random rotation next time the game starts. To remove a clip from rotation without deleting it, move it into a sub-folder named hide.
For brand activations, replace the background videos with your own promo clips and add your jingle to attract_music to turn the kiosk into a branded experience.
10 Maintenance & care
Screen
Wipe the touchscreen with a soft, dry or slightly damp microfibre cloth. No harsh solvents.
Sensor lens
Keep the infrared sensor lens clean and unobstructed for reliable detection.
Mat
Wipe down between busy sessions; keep it flat and free of trip hazards.
Shutting down
To power off cleanly, attach a keyboard and press Esc, then shut down Windows.
Back up your records. Occasionally copy jumprope_highscores.json and jumprope_play_log.csv from the USB stick to keep a safe copy of scores and analytics.
11 Troubleshooting
| Symptom | Try this |
|---|---|
| Game doesn’t start on boot | Make sure the USB stick is inserted. Restart the kiosk. If needed, double-click launch_jumprope_v20.bat on the stick. |
| Jumps not detected | Check the sensor cable, clean the lens, re-aim the beam across the jump area, and avoid direct sunlight. The status line should read “connected”. |
| “Waiting / no serial” | The sensor isn’t connected. Re-seat its USB cable; the game auto-reconnects within a few seconds. |
| No sound | Open the admin panel and raise music/SFX volume; confirm “attract audio” is On for idle music. |
| Always the same background video | Add more .mp4 files to background_animation; the game rotates through all of them. |
| Can’t find admin settings | From the idle screen, tap the top-left corner 5 times quickly (see section 8). |
| Screen looks dim while idle | Normal power-saving after a few minutes of no play. It brightens instantly when someone plays. |
12 Technical specifications
| Specification | Detail |
|---|---|
| Display | 55″ 4K touchscreen, portrait (9:16) |
| Sensor | Infrared, touch-less, millisecond resolution |
| Game duration | 30 seconds (adjustable 10–120 s) |
| Capacity | 20–50 players per hour |
| Dimensions | 100 × 200 × 80 cm (approx.) |
| Weight | ~60 kg |
| Power | 110–240 V / 50 Hz |
| Operating system | Windows, game in auto-start kiosk mode |
| Set-up time | ~5–15 minutes, plug-and-play |
| Maintenance | No moving parts; touch-less interaction |
13 Safety
Clear the area
Keep the jump zone free of obstacles and ensure secure footing on the mat.
One jumper at a time
The game is designed for a single player on the mat per round.
Play within limits
Encourage warm-ups and sensible effort. Players exercise at their own pace.
Keep it dry
Indoor use only. Keep electronics and cabling away from water.
Need a hand?
For support, spare parts, branding options or volume orders, visit madeforarcade.com.
Jump Rope Simulator — made for arcade. Bring fitness, fun and friendly competition to any space.