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Wiimote as Multi-Touch Display Controller
Tmack writes "While hard-hacks with the Wiimote are somewhat old news, this particular implementation is quite interesting. Using the infrared camera on the Wiimote, pens with LEDs instead of ink, and an LCD projector, Johnny Chung Lee of Carnegie Mellon University has created software to use them as a (relatively) cheap multi-touch display. Any surface onto which you can project becomes an interactive multi-touch display, as demonstrated in the video at the link. He has the software available for download, along with some other neat projects.
Lee has also documented another impressive Wiimote hack.
Wonder if someone has made software to use Wiimotes for motion capture. =)
or Nintendo predicted a higher demand for the Wiimotes
either
(A) the Wiis are used less for multiplayer than Nintendo expected
or
(B) the Wiimotes have a higher survival rate than Nintendo expected
or
(C) A+B
Self proclaimed typo king, and inventor of the bear destroying coffee table (patent not pending).
When Johnny Lee posted his last hack, it seemed like a cool idea to track your fingers in the air, but not all that practical, as was discussed at length. This hack however could actually have very practical applications for discussion and presentation, without the $5000 price tag of many interactive white board products. I'd like to see if anyone ever attempts to implement this in a small business environment, such as a design studio.
I am Jack's complete lack of surprise.
Some of the most important innovations are not about making something completely novel but about coming up with creative and more efficient ways of using what we already have. If this hack reproduces 75% of the performance of a commercial product at a fraction of the cost, then this is already a more cost-effective solution for simple touch-screen presentation software. It also puts it well within reach of the at-home user and not something that can only even be considered for large corporate presentations. All of a sudden an 8ft sq canvas for digital art is not out of the question, and it's scalable to a simple laptop as a tablet-pc replacement.
And considering the application he offers is free this can only encourage more experimentation that can lead to even more innovative applications of a relatively cheap and abundant product which is (Nintendo sanctioned or not) becoming more and more of a multi-purpose tool.
You can have three paintings on the wall, a phone, a radio and a TV, which all have different IR patterns. Then when you point you Wiimote on the phone painting, the Wii mote will see the pattern and tell your computer what you are pointing at. The computer will then activate the Twinkle (sip) on your computer and you can interface with it.. :-)
Using the motion sensors to answer calls might be a bit awkward (some minutes into the clip).