Bits and Bytes

Archive for the ‘Wii’ Category

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The stand in the image was put together in about 30 minutes.  I had an old microphone stand, the inexpensive type you can buy for $1.00.

Parts:

• Inexpensive microphone stand
• Small block of wood
• Foam – pipe insulation
• Velcro straps
• Hot glue gun
• Two sided sticky foam tape

How do Interactive whiteboards enhance learning?

This is a very short document which provides a brief explanation on the learning theory behind interactive whiteboard use.

• Learning Theory behind IWBs …

Recommended LED for Pen

Vishay TSAL6400 – High Power Infrared Emitting Diode

• Specification Sheet

The original Wiimote Project

• http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~johnny/projects/wii/

Since the Wiimote can track sources of infrared (IR) light, you can track pens that have an IR led in the tip. By pointing a wiimote at a projection screen or LCD display, you can create very low-cost interactive whiteboards or tablet displays. Since the Wiimote can track upto 4 points, up to 4 pens can be used. It also works great with rear-projected displays.

• Johnny Lee’s TED Talks Presentation

Presentation Software – (Windows)

University of Washington – Classroom Presenter

• http://classroompresenter.cs.washington.edu/

Classroom Presenter is a Tablet PC-based interaction system that supports the sharing of digital ink on slides between instructors and students. As a tool, Classroom Presenter enables the flexible delivery of lecture content and can increase student engagement and understanding of material. It allows the integration of digital ink and electronic slides, making it possible to combine the advantages of whiteboard style and slide-based presentation. The ability to link the instructor and student devices, and to send information back and forth, provides a mechanism for introducing active learning into the classroom.

Although this software was written to take advantage of Tablet-PCs, it works very well with an interactive surface based on the Wiimote and Smoothboard software (see below).

Interactive White Board Software for the Wiimote – (Windows)

Wiimote Smoothboard – from what I’ve seen this is one of the best!

• Version 1 of Smoothboard has been released, and now has its own site http://www.smoothboard.net/. The unregistered version is only valid for personal, non-profit and educational use (it does includes a nag screen).  For commercial use there is a registration fee of $24.99 (single-user license).
• http://www.boonjin.com/wp/

Features

Multiple Wiimotes Support – allows the usage of a secondary Wiimote for redundancy

• Primary and Secondary Wiimotes can be switched
• Primary Wiimote can be used to focus a specific screen area
• Activate Whiteboard Mode and Presenter Mode simultaneously

Configurable Screen Area Tracking – calibrate a selected screen area and/or select another display to be used as an interactive whiteboard.

Outside Screen Area Toggles

• Simulate Mouse Click – right click and double click
• Simulate Key Press – allows multiple key combinations
• Launch or execute any application/file which has a default viewer
• Notification Balloon – displays triggered events

Cursor Control Toolbar – resizable toolbar that allows quick toggles between left click, right click, double click and motion only cursor.

IR Calibration

• Viewable calibration setup to allow easier adjustments for greater tracking utilization
• Configurable infrared (IR) sensitivity to allow greater range or improved accuracy

Integrated Wiimote Presenter 0.2 – allows the control of the computer even when away from the screen

• Cursor Control – with a stationary IR source
• Key Press – using mapped Wiimote buttons
• Timers – tool to keep track of timings
• Compatible with pre-existing Wiimote Presenter files
• Laser Pointer Cursor

Easy switching between settings files – for Whiteboard Mode and Presenter Mode

Cursor Smoothing – reduces jagged lines when drawing in Whiteboard Mode and Presenter Mode

• http://www.uweschmidt.org/wiimote-whiteboard

Icon by: Francisco Cardoso Lima (Link to a very graphic rich introduction to using Wiimote Whiteboard.)

This program allows you to use the Wii Remote (Wiimote) to turn any surface into a Low-Cost Interactive Whiteboard. It is based on Johnny Lee’s original Wiimote Whiteboard program which was written in C# and available for Windows only. This program uses Java to allow for (some) platform-independence.  Although it is written to be platform independent, my experience with this application would suggest that it works much better on the Mac.

Features in a nutshell

• Runs on Mac OS X, Windows, and Linux
• Simple User Interface available in English, French, German, Portuguese, and Spanish
• Auto-connects up to 2 Wiimotes
• Camera Monitor and Calibration Details for better Wiimote placement
• Right-click support, double-click assistance
• Mouse cursor smoothing
• Screen selection
• Touchpad Mode
• Update notification
• TUIO/OSC support for multitouch applications

More details in the Wiki.

• Forum – http://www.wiimoteproject.com/index.php
• Wiki – http://wiki.wiimoteproject.com/Main_Page