<s>
A	O
dance	B-Device
pad	I-Device
,	O
also	O
known	O
as	O
a	O
dance	B-Device
mat	I-Device
or	O
dance	B-Device
platform	I-Device
,	O
is	O
a	O
flat	O
electronic	O
game	B-Device
controller	I-Device
used	O
for	O
input	O
in	O
dance	B-Application
games	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Most	O
dance	B-Device
pads	I-Device
are	O
divided	O
into	O
a	O
3×3	O
matrix	O
of	O
square	O
panels	O
for	O
the	O
player	O
to	O
stand	O
on	O
,	O
with	O
some	O
or	O
all	O
of	O
the	O
panels	O
corresponding	O
to	O
directions	O
or	O
actions	O
within	O
the	O
game	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Some	O
dance	B-Device
pads	I-Device
also	O
have	O
extra	O
buttons	O
outside	O
the	O
main	O
stepping	O
area	O
,	O
such	O
as	O
"	O
Start	O
"	O
and	O
"	O
Select	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Pairs	O
of	O
dance	B-Device
pads	I-Device
often	O
are	O
joined	O
,	O
side	O
by	O
side	O
,	O
for	O
certain	O
gameplay	O
modes	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Popular	O
arcade	O
games	O
such	O
as	O
Dance	B-Application
Dance	I-Application
Revolution	I-Application
,	O
In	B-Application
the	I-Application
Groove	I-Application
,	O
Pump	B-Application
It	I-Application
Up	I-Application
,	O
and	O
StepManiaX	B-Application
use	O
large	O
steel	O
dance	B-Device
platforms	I-Device
connected	O
to	O
the	O
arcade	O
cabinet	O
,	O
whereas	O
versions	O
for	O
home	O
consoles	O
usually	O
use	O
smaller	O
(	O
often	O
flexible	O
)	O
plastic	O
pads	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
These	O
home	O
pads	O
are	O
specifically	O
made	O
for	O
systems	O
such	O
as	O
the	O
GameCube	B-Application
,	O
Wii	B-Operating_System
,	O
Dreamcast	B-Operating_System
(	O
Japan	O
only	O
)	O
,	O
PlayStation	B-Device
,	O
PlayStation	B-Device
2	I-Device
and	O
Xbox	B-Protocol
,	O
but	O
can	O
also	O
be	O
used	O
in	O
computer	B-Device
simulators	O
such	O
as	O
StepMania	B-Language
through	O
the	O
use	O
of	O
special	O
adapters	B-Device
.	O
</s>
<s>
They	O
are	O
good	O
for	O
beginners	O
to	O
dance	B-Application
games	I-Application
or	O
casual	O
use	O
,	O
but	O
they	O
have	O
a	O
tendency	O
to	O
move	O
around	O
and	O
wrinkle	O
up	O
during	O
gameplay	O
(	O
unless	O
"	O
modded	O
"	O
,	O
such	O
as	O
by	O
gluing	O
or	O
taping	O
them	O
to	O
the	O
top	O
of	O
a	O
piece	O
of	O
plywood	O
or	O
the	O
bottom	O
of	O
a	O
transparent	O
office	O
chair	O
mat	O
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
inserts	O
usually	O
ship	O
as	O
three	O
or	O
six	O
puzzle	O
pieces	O
(	O
to	O
allow	O
for	O
a	O
smaller	O
box	O
)	O
which	O
fit	O
together	O
using	O
a	O
dovetail	O
joint	O
and	O
slide	O
into	O
the	O
dance	B-Device
pad	I-Device
,	O
which	O
then	O
zips	O
closed	O
around	O
the	O
foam	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
[ [ 	O
File:Dance	O
Dance	O
Revolution	O
4thMix	O
Plus	O
arcade	O
machine	O
stage.jpg	O
|200px|thumb|right|The	O
arcade	O
version	O
of	O
Dance	B-Application
Dance	I-Application
Revolutions	I-Application
two-player	O
dance	B-Device
platform	I-Device
is	O
an	O
example	O
of	O
a	O
hard	O
pad	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Hard	O
pads	O
are	O
used	O
in	O
all	O
arcade	O
versions	O
of	O
music	B-Application
games	I-Application
that	O
employ	O
dance	B-Device
pads	I-Device
,	O
and	O
often	O
serve	O
as	O
the	O
nec	O
plus	O
ultra	O
for	O
DIY	O
Gamers	O
that	O
attempt	O
to	O
construct	O
"	O
Homebrew	O
pads.	O
"	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
proximity	B-Device
sensor	I-Device
is	O
used	O
to	O
detect	O
a	O
player	O
's	O
steps	O
on	O
the	O
pad	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Problems	O
are	O
often	O
encountered	O
when	O
attempting	O
to	O
use	O
a	O
PlayStation	B-Device
pad	O
with	O
a	O
computer	B-Device
simulator	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Most	O
PlayStation-PC	O
adapters	B-Device
will	O
not	O
register	O
Up	O
and	O
Down	O
,	O
or	O
Left	O
and	O
Right	O
,	O
simultaneously	O
initially	O
,	O
although	O
they	O
are	O
common	O
"	O
jumps	O
"	O
in	O
dance	B-Application
games	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
This	O
is	O
because	O
normal	O
PlayStation	B-Device
games	O
do	O
not	O
require	O
such	O
input	O
,	O
and	O
because	O
D-pads	B-Device
are	O
not	O
usually	O
designed	O
to	O
physically	O
permit	O
such	O
input	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
StepMania	B-Language
's	O
website	O
has	O
a	O
section	O
concerning	O
adapter	B-Device
compatibility	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Although	O
these	O
devices	O
may	O
work	O
on	O
a	O
PC	O
,	O
to	O
date	O
,	O
the	O
adapters	B-Device
will	O
not	O
work	O
with	O
consoles	O
that	O
have	O
built	O
in	O
USB	O
ports	O
such	O
as	O
the	O
PlayStation	B-Operating_System
3	I-Operating_System
and	O
the	B-Operating_System
Xbox	I-Operating_System
360	I-Operating_System
.	O
</s>
<s>
Although	O
most	O
commercial	O
pads	O
have	O
four	O
arrow	O
panels	O
(	O
DDR/In	O
The	O
Groove	O
)	O
,	O
some	O
have	O
five	O
(	O
Pump	B-Application
It	I-Application
Up	I-Application
)	O
,	O
six	O
(	O
Dance	B-Application
Dance	I-Application
Revolution	I-Application
Solo	O
2000	O
)	O
,	O
eight	O
(	O
Dance:UK	O
)	O
,	O
(	O
MC	B-Application
Groovz	I-Application
Dance	I-Application
Craze	I-Application
)	O
,	O
or	O
nine	O
(	O
Technomotion	B-Application
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Not	O
satisfied	O
with	O
the	O
cost	O
and/or	O
reliability	O
of	O
factory	O
assembled	O
metal	O
dance	B-Device
pads	I-Device
,	O
many	O
players	O
construct	O
their	O
own	O
dance	B-Device
pad	I-Device
.	O
</s>
<s>
Some	O
homebrew	O
pads	O
have	O
extra	O
features	O
such	O
as	O
additional	O
arrows	O
(	O
for	O
playing	O
Pump	B-Application
It	I-Application
Up	I-Application
or	O
DDR	B-Application
Solo	O
)	O
,	O
menu	O
switches	O
and	O
pushbuttons	O
,	O
and	O
bars	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
controller	O
used	O
depends	O
on	O
the	O
system	O
that	O
the	O
pad	O
is	O
intended	O
to	O
be	O
played	O
with	O
(	O
GameCube	B-Application
,	O
PlayStation	B-Device
,	O
Xbox	B-Protocol
,	O
or	O
PC	O
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
most	O
common	O
design	O
uses	O
metal	O
contacts	O
that	O
sandwich	O
together	O
when	O
the	O
player	O
steps	O
on	O
the	O
pad	O
or	O
arcade	O
button	O
switches	O
but	O
some	O
novel	O
ideas	O
have	O
been	O
proposed	O
such	O
as	O
the	O
use	O
of	O
optical	O
,	O
pressure	O
,	O
vibration	O
,	O
or	O
proximity	B-Device
sensors	I-Device
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
dance	B-Device
pad	I-Device
has	O
been	O
also	O
used	O
in	O
experimental	O
systems	O
for	O
navigating	O
through	O
virtual	B-General_Concept
environments	I-General_Concept
,	O
such	O
as	O
those	O
reproducing	O
historical	O
buildings	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Some	O
games	O
that	O
can	O
be	O
played	O
with	O
dance	B-Device
pads	I-Device
do	O
not	O
involve	O
pressing	O
the	O
arrow	O
buttons	O
on	O
the	O
pad	O
to	O
keep	O
with	O
the	O
rhythm	O
of	O
a	O
song	O
:	O
</s>
