Johnny Chung Lee, from Carnegie Mellon University, is making wonders with his Wii remote. First of all he has turned it into a multi-touch receiver that you can use for whiteboards - or practically any surface you can think of.
Here is the video:
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His first attempt, as you can see in this video (below), looks much more technical. Instead of using a pen - he uses reflective tape and his fingers to control a TV. It is still very impressive, but needs some "design" :)
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Then he moves on to create the most impressive 3D experiences I have ever seen. There are so many potentials with this kind of technology. Not just for the obvious - for games - but just think about the possibilities in terms of interaction design.
People have been trying to create 3D interfaces for as long as I can remember, but all of them have failed - again short of games - because it was displayed on a 2D screen. Now you got a 3D interface on a (simulated) 3D screen.
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Thank you, very usefull!
Thomas, thank you so much for posting these videos. Awesome find. Now I'm off to Johnny Lee's site!
René
Where do you get the software that maps the Wiimote space to the screen space, and handles the multi-touch functions?
Oh, off his website. I guess I should have watched the whole thing before posting. Sorry!
Wow-WII is all I can say! I'm off to his Web site, too! (Thanks for posting this, Thomas, it's fantastic!)
~Dorothy
I dont own a WII or any gaming system. How is the remote interfacing with the computer? Is he using a Wii console or does the remote plug in to most laptops?
This is pretty awesome stuff. I'm glad I Stumbled here.
Great compilation of Johnny Lee's work. He's a terrific hacker. Nintendo should hire him as an honorary researcher.
Interesting, but I'm not sure interacting with a projected image in this fashion is more productive or practical than simply using a mouse. And having to remember to not block the Wii would get annoying I'd imagine. Still, pretty neat.
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Chris, I must admit that I see a lot of potentials. Being able to interact directly provides for a more engaging experience.
As for blocking both the screen and the Wii, then that could potentially be placing the projector behind the screen instead (but I am not sure if the Wii could detect you through a screen).
the 3d vid should be on the top:P It's really cool. I wanna see some games too!
I've already created a pair of gloves to use for a keyboard...this is going to be sweet
Wow! I wish I was capable of stuff like this, seems like you guys have tons of fun!
I am hoping Nintendo is watching this and looking forward to some amazing things from the wii!
Wii is crazy. I just saw something about wii making a microphone so gamers can talk. As i recall, xbox live has already produced this, yet it will probably still make a splash.
This guy's gonna get SOOOOO rich.,
I like the electric cello in the background.
Writer, Project Manager and Interaction Designer
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Joel, he he... I think I have seen those videos 20 times, but I never noticed a cello
Wow, that was amazing. It's really fascinating what can be accomplished simply using IR transmitters/receivers. I expect to see you winning a Nobel prize soon, Johnny! :)
Definitely the next step in 3d gaming. Exciting!
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Tracy
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This is wonderful! Thank you for sharing this Thomas. I also see fabulous benefits for education. Imagine how many 'smartboards' we can create for the cost of a real one!
I'm going to look into this and see about building the parts for my classroom.
Tracy