21/12/07

Wii remote: Redefining Human Computer Interaction

Posted in Games, Interface, Usability, Why didn't I think of that? | No Comments » Tweet This Post

If you thought that the spring horse + Wii Remote + Need For Speed was the coolest thing you ever saw on videogames wait until you see this.

Via hackaday.com I land on Johnny Chung Lee’s website and a brave (and cheap) new world opens before me.

In his page he has put a few do-it-yourself-with-a-wii-remote videos that will blow you away. The advanced interaction concepts he explores, the easy and cheap implementations and the clarity of the demos make the perfect combination for an instant YouTube hit.

It’s all about using the powerful 1024×768 infrared camera on your Wii remote and connecting it via bluetooth to your computer. The results?

Tracking Your Fingers with the Wii remote

Use your fingers to control a multitouch screen in the air à la Minority Report.
Tracking Your Fingers with the Wii remote video

Low-Cost Multi-point Interactive Whiteboards Using the Wii remote

By pointing a Wii remote at a projection screen you can create very low-cost interactive whiteboards or tablet displays. No projector? Point the Wii remote to your computer monitor and turn it into a multitouch surface.
Low-Cost Multi-point Interactive Whiteboards Using the Wii remote video

Head Tracking for Desktop VR Displays using the Wii Remote

With a cheap pair of glasses, an couple of infrared lights and, of course the Wii remote, literally open a new window to an inmersive 3D VR environment.
Head Tracking for Desktop VR Displays using the Wii Remote video

(By Johnny’s personal page URL cs.cmu.edu I gather that he’s from the School of Computer Science at renowned Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh and he works in Human Computer Interaction there.)

12/12/07

Extending the Wii: Need For Speed + Spring Horse

Posted in Games, Interface, Usability, Why didn't I think of that? | 1 Comment » Tweet This Post

Reading X de Xavier’s post about using the Wii remote to enable disabled people to interact with computers, I remembered a video of a boy using a spring horse and a Wii remote to play Need For Speed.

Yet another case of popular use of tecnology that it’s creators never foresaw.

21/11/07

Crayon Physics, an amazing game with new gameplay forms

Posted in Design, Games, Interface | 2 Comments » Tweet This Post

I stumbled upon an interesting video of a physics game played on a tablet pc. Apparently you can draw anything on the screen and the object will interact with other objects according to the laws of physics.

A simple and yet well designed game that opens new perspectives for interactivity and user interface.

This is the work of Petri Purho a student at Helsinki Polytechnic that produces a game every month (he programs them in under 7 days) exploring new forms of gameplay.

You can download the game from his blog for free: Kloonigames » Blog Archive » Crayon Physics (windows only for the moment)