DIY: Wii-remote connected to your Laser

[DixiScan]

Yes I know, there are some other threads here, mentioning the Wii-remote, but not in detail.
Maybe this new thread can bring us to a totally new concept of controlling your scanner with a simple sheap Wii-mote.

A Nintendo Wii-mote can be bought for a few dollars, without using the Wii-console. Only the remote device is needed.
It contains a X,Y,Z acceleration (motion) sensor, an IR camera and a bluetooth receiver/transmitter. Normally the Wii-mote is talking with the Console via a bluetooth connection.
These BT-signales can be captured by your bluetooth device in your laptop.
Free Mac software can be downloaded here: http://sourceforge.net/projects/darwiin-remote
Free Windows software here: http://carl.kenner.googlepages.com/glovepie

Screenshots of the software here: http://images.google.nl/images?hl=nl...-8&sa=N&tab=wi

This Darwiin software can read all the signals from the Wii-mote with a sampling rate of 50 per second.
The signals can even be exported to other software, or even to 'our' laser software.

The GlovePie software can even read-in the Wii-mote signals and output them as MIDI signals.
Pangolin's LivePro and MediaLas' Mamba can read MIDI files, so an connection between the Wii-mote and the lasersoftware could be easilly made.

Be continued !

[thesk8nmidget]

yes please do continue! it would be cool to use this for simple cue changes or beat making i live pro.

[DixiScan]

Hihi,

Here some video's of a connected Wii controller.

The left-right movement of the Wii is assigned to the Rotation of the image.
The other example is the tilt of the Wii, assigned to the Y size.

I'm now trying to add the Wii IR-bar for X and Y displacement.
Strap the Wii to a girl on the dancefloor and your laser will look like freaky.

[mikkojay]

Very cool!
I actually just purchased a bluetooth USB and got it to connect to my WiiMote just last week. I had a bit of frustration getting the device to sync, but I have the process down now. I hear that the WiiMote is finicky about which hardware it will "talk to".
I downloaded the WiiMote .net library and sample applications and was able to see the accellerometer feedback, etc. but beyond that I have not messed with it.
What language are you coding in?
-Edit- Or are you using the glovepie to translate to midi, then using an app that accepts midi?
This is exciting- great job!
-Mike

[allthatwhichis]

Very cool!
I actually just purchased a bluetooth USB and got it to connect to my WiiMote just last week. I had a bit of frustration getting the device to sync, but I have the process down now. I hear that the WiiMote is finicky about which hardware it will "talk to".
I downloaded the WiiMote .net library and sample applications and was able to see the accellerometer feedback, etc. but beyond that I have not messed with it.
What language are you coding in?
-Edit- Or are you using the glovepie to translate to midi, then using an app that accepts midi?
This is exciting- great job!
-Mike

I expect a motion activated fireworks interface by Monday...

[mikkojay]

Ha!
This is great info for many reasons, but the one that jumps out is the Wii to midi translation. I have a nicely functioning midi library, so I suppose that would mean that as long as I make an app that is midi capable, it can be controlled via WiiMote. That rocks (in my own little geeky way)!
As for the fireworks, that is yesterday's obsession- don't worry, I have a current one on the drawing board
Playing a fireworks show on a Wii guitar might be fun- I wonder what the whammy bar should do?
-Mike

[mophead]

Playing a fireworks show on a Wii guitar might be fun- I wonder what the whammy bar should do?
-Mike

Control the speed of the finale string?

[DixiScan]

Hihi,
I used the GlovePie software and wrote my own script in it.
There are a lot of examples in GlovePie, so its easy to find out which Wii control input is for than midi output. I used midi because LivePro and Mamba have enough functions to assign to.

Right now I'm trying to write the following controls for the Laser-Wii:

Wii roll left/right -> image rotate left/right
Wii pitch front/back -> image size on Y-axis
Wii press '-' button -> slower image playback
Wii press '+' button -> faster image playback
Wii press 'B' button -> play image again
Wii press arrow keys -> skip to next cue on page

With the IR-bar attached:
Wii move left/right -> image displacement left/right
Wii move up/down -> image displacement ip/down

I think this funny Wii thing has a lot of potential in it for laser appications.
First we had the Laser-VST, then Sms2laser and now the interactive LaserWii
To be honest: I know a laser company that is working right now to implement this Wii control into the next software release.

[mikkojay]

After messing with the code that talks "directly" to the device, I am of the opinion that it would be MUCH simpler to use the midi translation. I couldn't imagine the support calls from about 50% of the people who try to connect the device to Windows, or whatever OS, cannot, then call and groan about it. That would be tough. In the Wii Homebrew Wiki there is a list of compatible bluetooth devices and drivers, so you can see how sticky the prospect of connecting to a PC can be. Some people just plug it in and it works, but most are not so lucky. If I was going to offer it as a direct connect option out of software I was writing, I would almost be inclined to buy a truckload of known working USB adapters (they are pretty cheap) and just include one with the install disc.

It will be interesting to see what's around the bend with these controllers

Any hints on what laser company you are talking about, or are you going to make us guess?

[DixiScan]

Hi Mike,

I will upload a short manual ánd the whole script to setup the whole gig within 10 minutes.
To be clear: I'm not using a device like a midi controller or something.
GlovePie reads the Wii movements translates it to midi and a virtual midi driver, which is running in the background, redirects the notes to the laser software.
The company is in Germany and begins with a M.