VR Accessory Repair- Woojer

 

The Woojer Strap Edge is a wearable accessory that's similar to a speaker. It gives VR games an extra-realistic experience by adding haptics. So if there are special effect noises in the game, you feel them as vibrations. 

I really like using the Woojer, so I was very disappointed when the switch on mine recently broke. The light would come on when I plugged it in, but nothing happened when I pressed the button. No clicking, no "switch feel". So I guessed correctly that the switch had gotten pushed away from the plastic button.

I wrote to the company to see if it might be covered under warranty, but I was too impatient to wait for a solution from them. Plus I really wanted to see how it worked. I decided to open it up and fix it myself. This was a difficult decision. My parents advised me not to do it, because there was a risk of either not being able to repair it, or a chance that it could break worse in the future. But I felt confident that it I knew what the problem was. Luckily, the electrical connections were all intact.

Looking inside the Woojer, I could tell that either the PCB pads lifted off or the solder on the support tabs of the switch broke. I tilted the switch back in place and then added hot glue between the switch and the oscillator can. That way the switch has support behind it keeping it in place even if the plastic button is pressed too hard or at an angle.

I found out that the rechargeable battery inside is a 12 watt hour 18650, so it would be relatively easy to replace if it wears out.

I put back the 5 screws that hold in the PCB, and the 4 screws that hold the case together. Now my Woojer is working again so I can use it when I play VR games like Beat Saber.

Update: After I got a response to my email to Woojer, I let them know I had already fixed it myself, and gave them a suggestion of how they could make their product better. Here's their reply:

Hi Griffin,

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Quite impressive! I am glad you were able to resolve the problem and I will be sure to pass this on to our engineers.

Please let me know if there is anything else I can do for you.

Sincerely,

[Customer Support Representative]