Wii Remote IR Camera Hack with Arduino Interface

Step 6 Using the camera to control something.

Finally we can run the combined code, actuating the servo with the Wii IR camera output. This is the proof of concept type of project. After proving that this is possible we can go on to building more complicated projects with confidence that we can utilize the Wii IR camera.

I have attached the arduino code files.

The system responds very quickly, even to fast, small movements. Now, we can use the Wii camera directly in all our projects. Look for cheap busted Wii remotes on ebay to salvage.

If you are getting too much noise in the system (i.e. the camera is seeing too many extraneous light sources) you can use the IR filter from the Wii remote. This will filter the lights which are disrupting the camera.

Comments

[ameenyousuf]

nice work. I was wondering whether similar circuitry could be used to detect finger movements? I am working on an optical projection keyboard project and was planning to use the Wiimote IR sensor for the purpose of detecting finger movements when a user hits a key. I think what you have made could be applied to some extent to my project also?Is that possible? Thanks

[pspittle]

You may find it a lot easier if you were to do something like what is in this video for your project. Doesn't require such lengthy amounts of work, and you can keep the wiimote in one piece

[marcwolf]

Very interesting project and also thanks - I have been curious about the 'speed' of processing.
I do animatronics as a hobby and one of the 'holy grails' is real time Lip Syncing where the mask will move it's lips in time with yours.

If one thinks of the lips as a flexible circle with points every 90 degree's then it's easy to put reflective points on the lips at that location/ Then it's easy to work out how open, cloded, or wide the mouth is and du0plicate it on the puppet.

Using an industrual face mask (for dusting) you can make a fully self contain system complete with camera and IR 'spotlight' that will protect the eyes and provice a dark environment.

Take Care

Marcwolf

[razstec]

Anyone can help with building a smaller controler so i can attach it laptop screen side and use a pen as a mouse?

the wiimote its just too big, any sugestion?
A way to power it by usb would came in handy too.
thanks

[thalass]

This is great. I wonder if you could use it to track the sun? There are cheaper and simpler ways to do that, I suppose, but the wiimote ir camera mounted in the middle of a group of solar panels, or a reflector dish for solar thermal, with the arduino programmed to return the array to a pre-determined position when an ambient light sensor determines it's dark outside (or the solar panel output goes below a threshold, or an internal clock determines it is close to sunset, or a combination). You could even alter the morning position based on the date, so the panels are in the right spot in the morning.

Very flexible, I like.

[BigRedRocket]

Yes, that would absolutely work. It would really be powerful in a moving platform where you might need some more dynamic sun tracking.

You can take this idea further. If I know the time of day and my position on the earth (longitude, latitude and possibly altitude as well) then I know where the sun should be. Then, by using a IR camera (or several of of them), you can measure where the sun is. Then, working backwards, I know (within some error) what the angular orientation of the cameras and therefore the orientation of the robot, airplane, etc as well.

This gives you a fixed orientation measurement that doesn't require integration as apposed to inertial navigation systems which builds up error over time.

Of course that would only work during the day. I wonder what IR signal the moon has?

[thalass]

I don't think the moon has much of an IR signal. Not enough for the wiimote camera, probably. It'd be easy to test, though. With cwiid or another wiimote program for pc. Point it at the sky and see what the output looks like.

For orientation, that method would work great, except at around midday. Especially if your vehicle is on a tilt. That can be compensated for, though. But then again you can get hall effect compass systems for fairly cheap nowdays, which also have no accumulative errors or anything.

Now if your vehicle was on a body without any magnetic field, like the moon or something, then that would work very well. Especially if you could use the earth as a second reference point for when the sun is directly overhead.

[thalass]

I just tried this out, with wmgui on my laptop. The sun is much too bright for the wiimote to register it! Even with two polerised sunglasses lenses at various angles (crossed at 90 degrees you can't see through them, though the sun still shines through) I got no output - though reflections of the sun on various things produced a myriad of points the wiimote will track.

I also tried the moon the other night, being a full moon, and I think that it wasn't bright enough either. Though I didn't try putting my sunglasses in front of the lense to test that out.

[wkuace]

maybe you could try a welding mask? If you have a spare set of oxy acetylene goggles those might work, arc welding mask are actually darker and might block to much light. They might completely block the IR light though

also does anybody know if the IR cameras from the Nyko or other brand wii remotes will work?

[thalass]

Actually if your system was sensitive enough you could work out longitude and lattitude, too!