Hack Your Usb Missile Launcher Into an "Auto-aiming Autoturret!"

Intro: Hack Your Usb Missile Launcher Into an "Auto-aiming Autoturret!"

How to make your usb missile launcher aim on it's own.
This instructable will teach you to turn your usb missile launcher in an autoturret which will find and aim at IR targets. (sorry only IR targets)

STEP 1: What You Need!

What do I need?

You need:

1 wiimote:
a bluetooth enabled pc
1 Usb missile launcher (duh!)
Ducttape
GlovePie (Programmable input emulator) You can download glovepie from: http://glovepie.org/poiuytrewq.php
A little bit of programming experience (not really necessary but, helps you understand the programming part better)

STEP 2: Preparation

Use ducttape to fasten your wiimote on the top of the missie launcher. Make sure the missiles are still able to fire. The wiimote should point forward, and be placed in the middle of the missile launcher like on the picture. Be sure not to cover the 1 and 2 buttons on the wiimote, because you need to be able to press them in order to connect them to your PC (see next step).

STEP 3: Connecting the Wiimote

Now connect your wiimote to your pc. If you already know how to do this, you can skip this step.

If you are using bluesoleil do this: Open bluesoleil and press the red/orange ball in the middle of the screen, this will make your pc scan for bluetooth devices. While your pc scans, press and hold the 1 and 2 buttons on your wiimote (the LEDs should now start blinking) when your computer finds your wiimote you can release the buttons again. The wiimote device should appear on your bluesoleil screen as something like "Nintendo RVL-CNT-01" or something like that. Now double click the new wiimote device your pc found. This will make it scan for possible services. The mouse icon should now turn orange. Click the mouse icon. If the wiimote icon turns green you have successfully paired your wiimote to your computer.

STEP 4: Programming Part1

With your wiimote properly connected to the computer you should be able to use glovepie scripts with it. Open GlovePIE and enter this:

debug=wiimote.dot1x

if wiimote.dot1y<462 then keyboard.Down=true else keyboard.Down=false
if wiimote.dot1y>562 then keyboard.Up=true else keyboard.Up=false

if wiimote.dot1x<462 then keyboard.Left=true else keyboard.Left=false
if wiimote.dot1x>562 then keyboard.Right=true else keyboard.Right=false

The first line isn't really necessary but it helps you see if your wiimote works properly.
The 2 next lines handles the horizontal aiming. and the last 2 handles the vertical aiming. It does this by pressing the right buttons in the missile launcher software based on where the IR target is. If your missile launcher software uses anything other than the arrow keys for aiming, you will need to tweak the code.
If you have more than one wiimote connected to your pc, then replace the "wiimote" with "wiimote" followed by what number wiimote you want to use. For example, if you use your second wiimote for this you would write "wiimote2". If you are unsure about what number you should use, just put "wiimote" without the number there and GlovePIE will most likely figure it out by itself.

STEP 5: Programming Part 2: Shooting a Missile

The following lines of code will take care of the Shooting mechanism.
Now at the end of the script add this:

wiimote.Led1=wiimote.dot1vis
wiimote.Led2=wiimote.dot1vis
wiimote.Led3=wiimote.dot1vis
wiimote.Led4=wiimote.dot1vis

This will make the LEDs on the wiimote light up whenever it can "see" an infrared light. This makes it easier for you to see if the wiimote receives any IR signal.

Now we are going to add the shooting.
This is going to be a little more complex than the previous lines of code, but i hope you understand it. At the end of the script add the following:

if wiimote.dot1vis=true then {
if wiimote.dot1x>412 and wiimote.dot1x<612 and wiimote.dot1y>412 and wiimote.dot1y<612 then {
keyboard.Enter=true
keyboard.Enter=false
}
}

The first line checks if the wiimote can "see" any IR signal. The 2nd line checks if the IR light is in the center of the wiimotes "field of view". If it is, the launcher should be aimed correctly, and the launcher will shoot a missile. If your missile launcher software does not use Enter for firing the missiles, you should change "keyboard.Enter " to whatever key your software uses.

STEP 6: Finished

Now you have a fully autoaiming wiimote/missile-launcher turret.
Open your missile launcher software, and connect the missile launcher. If you've set up everything correctly, you can go ahead and start the GlovePIE script by hitting run, then switch over to your missile launcher software and watch as the missile launcher aims and shoots at IR targets.
It will be able to aim at anything that emits InfraRed radiation, like a candle, remote controller or the wii sensor bar. If you run into any problems or have a question for me, leave a comment or send a private message, and I'll be glad to help.

Comments

[SYRESKIWI.]

hey this would be really funny to get a super long usb cord and place it on top of the VCR so next time some1 uses the TV remote they get shot XD

[lego mindstorms]

you mean to combine the three scripts right?

[Matrix-technician]

Where can i get a launcher like this besides ebay?

[Roshy10]

http://cpc.farnell.com/thumbs-up/usbmis/usb-missile-launcher/dp/LH00842?Ntt=usb+missile+launcher

[frostybob]

I have a Lego Mindstorms 2.0 kit. Just wondering that because it has a IR function on it could the turret track the mindstorms brick??

[dremeldude]

This would be cool if you put an ir led on a rc helicopter and try to outfly the launcher

[marinevet1010]

Just a thought but maybe you should take this down as people may use this for criminal reasons (aka strapping it to a real gun, etc)

[Spreegem]

It can only aim at things that emit infrared light, so unless a criminal goes around taping infrared LEDs to people they cant use it for any illegal purpose. They would also have to carry around a laptop doing all the controlling, and create some sort of device to hold a real gun that can communicate back and forth between the computer. The possibility of a criminal doing all that is very low.

[totally_screwed]

Unless I'm being dumb, the target doesn't need to emit IR, it could reflect IR. Just like laser guided bombs or missiles work. The LGB or LGM steers toward the basket which is the cone of reflected laser light which is aimed at the target by the aircraft or special forces target designator. Of course with laser designation, the laser has to be encoded (presumably not too different from IR used in a TV remote control), so that the bomb or missile doesn't or shouldn't look for the sun or a reflection of it, or any other strong IR sources. My old TV used to be confused by the IR emanating from a compact fluorescent light bulb, the new TV doesn't (old TV didn't use encoded commands and was designed before CFLs, new one does and is unaffected by CFLs). So an IR laser or collimated IR beam would do the trick. But the comms link could defeat many criminals.

It's amazing what you can learn from TV!

If a criminal is smart enough to crack the computer / gun comms link, then they wouldn't bother with this! They'd be into bot nets and DDOS attacks and big time extortion to get rich. No-one with any sense is going to use this to control a firearm to commit a crime. Firearms are too heavy and recoil. It would need to be thoroughly re-engineered. It's far simpler to pay someone to do the dirty deed.

All that hoopla aside - great Instructable!

[TheLucster]

If you want to be really old school with tv remotes you need to forget about IR completely! We have a TV that uses ultrasonics in the remote to communicate with the TV.

[vinnygx3pimp]

zenith right? no batteries. just the sound made from the metal inside the remote being hit. Still would've been great today no betteries needed.

[TheLucster]

Nope afraid not! It was some old B&O tv, the batteries it uses are near enough impossible to find now.

[account3r2]

what kind of battery?

[vinnygx3pimp]

oh well zenith made one that just used the high pitched click of the metal. it was featured on hacknmod.com contest guess the thing.

[ExtraMedium]

any idea why this became obsolete? (other than the likelyness that it could change the channel if you drop the remote and it would interfere withe other peoples tvs)

[vinnygx3pimp]

just the fact that newer technologies produce ultrasonic sounds that would interfere with the television. Like do you hear the high pitched whines and sounds when you turn your tv on. would interfere. lol it would be a cool experiment to do.

[TheLucster]

Yeah it does sound cool, but I guess it was impractical to make (PCBs can be made for next to nothing, where as this sounds quite complicated to make), plus I guess it will wear out eventually.

[yobwoc]

Great. now some criminal's gonna set that up on the side of a highway and kill anyone in a silver car...

[jhvh.one]

IR led throwies!

[account3r2]

i had the same kind of idea. just make a bunch and give them to people or throw them at them. they will likely not know what it is, they will probably look at it for long enough for the missile launcher to find them! mwahaha