1. buy a wiimote (EBay, $30.00)
2. order an infrared LED from Mouser Electronics or Radio Shack, etc.
(see attached "wand" graphic)
3. get a bluetooth USB "dongle" (a cheap radio receiver and transmitter): < $20.00, ebay
anything by Cambridge Silicon Ltd. seems to work fine. You don't need "driver"
software for Linux.
4. use Kubuntu Linux >= 7.04 and the KDE window mgr.
5. Check to see if the "KBluetooth Server" is installed, if so, try it out.
(if not there, use the "Adept" or "Synaptic" package manager to get it.)
6. get and install python >= v.2.5.1 with your package manager.
7. get the wiimote and python libraries (attached) and put them in your installed python
module directory.
Python modules needed:
"linuxWiimoteLib.py", "mousecontrol.py", "keypressreader.py" and "perspective.py"
(to untar the attached file: "tar zxvf ./wb.tar.gz")
These modules are also available from
http://wiiwhiteboard.cvs.sourceforge.net/wiiwhiteboard/source/linux/
Also get the "PyBluez" package (to install, run "python setup.py install")
and "python-xlib-0.14" (same command to install it).
8. get an ".Xauthority" configuration file in your home directory with "XDM" (apt-get install XDM)
9. Make the IR "stylus/wand" from an old whiteboard marker (see attached graphic file)
10. Check the bluetooth connection
a. start the KBluetooth server from the Utilities menu of the desktop K Menu.
b. Click on "KBlueMon", right button: "Discover Remote Services": "Start Scan".
c. hit the 1 and 2 buttons simultaneously on the wiimote and watch to see
if it can be found by the bluetooth system.
11. place the wiimote so that it can see the whole screen area it will use.
I used a 3'vertical x 4'horizontal area (my reach) and put the wiimote about
25 degrees a foot off the wall away from the top right corner of my area.
You can just tape it to a pole or something to point the way you want it.
12. use: If the system can see the wiimote, start wiimote whiteboard software: "python wii.py".
It will ask you to click on the top left, top right, bottom left, and bottom right
corners of the area you want to use. ("calibrating")
13. practice a bit: Push the button to turn on the LED as you move the wand. You can't see
the light with your eye, but you can with viewfinder of a digital camera.
Try controlling the menus and a graphics app like kolourpaint or gimp.
You can click on things with the right mouse button. (Unfortunately, control of
the left button is a whole new matter and will need more hardware. For now,
just walk over and use your mouse if you need the left button at all.)
14. Come up with something interesting to teach people! This is perfect for study groups
or lectures. You can calibrate on a regular TV, or a computer projector's image.
You can project an image from below onto a glass table, or put it up on a wall.
15. The Wiimote is capable of watching 4 points simultaneously! It can, of course, tell
speed and direction with its "accelerometer" organs.
There is a lot of Linux software available to talk to it and get all kinds of reports
from it.
----Original Message-----
From: owner-schoolforge-discuss@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx on behalf of Daniel Howard
Sent: Mon 6/23/2008 7:31 AM
To: schoolforge-discuss@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: Re: [school-discuss] VPython & Wii
Scott, could you detail the steps you took to get it working under
Linux? Thanks, Daniel
Scott Cowley wrote:
> I have the Wiimote whiteboard working under Linux. It works like a charm.
> The WiimoteLib is available for Linux.
> I am note sure what calls VPython uses for "head tracking", but the python
> libraries are, of course, available for Linux.
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: owner-schoolforge-discuss@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx on behalf of Joel Kahn
> Sent: Sun 6/22/2008 4:17 AM
> To: schoolforge-discuss@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> Subject: [school-discuss] VPython & Wii
>
> Since we've talked about both the Wii and
> VPython not too long ago, I figure that some
> of the hard-core techies in this group might
> want to see a little something about how they
> can be brought together:
>
> http://physics.syr.edu/~salgado/software/vpython
>
> Near the top of the page, under "What's New,"
> click on "VPython with real-time data." If I
> understand the basics correctly, this might
> be a primarily M$ Windows setup in its current
> form. Adapting it to Linux may be just one of
> the many challenges here. . . .
>
> Anyway, have fun.
>
> Joel
>
>
>
>
>
--
Daniel Howard
President and CEO
Georgia Open Source Education Foundation
Attachment:
wand.png
Description: wand.png
Attachment:
wb.tar.gz
Description: wb.tar.gz
