besides STEIM in Holland, AID in Canada is developing a DIY sensor platform using BASIC PIC controllers:
http://www.interaccess.org/aid/project.html
and for like the twentieth time now, i recommend Johannes Taelman's page, this time for his innovative hacking of wireless joysticks:
http://allserv.ugent.be/~jtaelman/devel/acceleration/index.html
d.