Thread: wiimote trigger idea

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I've been using the wiimote white board at school. What it does is turn any surface into a kind of touchscreen. The user has an led stylus with an infrared led that the wiimote can detect to simulate mouse clicks. I was thinking that this could serve as an interesting trigger for computer controlled events.

Example, you could have a live actor with an led at the tip of a gloved finger touch the surface of a gravestone and have a projection of blood run from the letters. (keep in mind humans can't see infrared, so as far as anyone knows you only touched it).

There are alot of projector possibilities, but it could also provides a way to activate multiple triggers so long as you knew the trigger location and had it mapped accordingly. (i.e. if I touch this stone and activate the IR led some other scripted event on the other side of the front lawn is triggered).

The problem (as I understand it):
-Need software that creates customizable buttons that can be placed anywhere on a screen. You would need to project your laptop screen on to your trigger surface so that you can train the wiimote software, but also customize your trigger locations.(once you have your available surface mapped, you can use your laptop to drag the buttons to the places on your property that you can touch without difficulty). Once you have selected the position for your triggers the projector is no longer necessary for the triggers to function. You can relocate the projector for use elsewhere if you liked. You'd need to setup the projector as a separate monitor once the trigger area is calibrated if you wanted to use it for events.

Any ideas on how to go about the software problem? I suppose I could drag icon shortcuts.

edit: here's the link to the white board software. You just need a wiimote ($40) and a laptop that has bluetooth.

wow that's preety cool idea I have been using the wii motes with a Dj software program I have but have never thought of anything like this keep us posted...