Chapter NUI-15.   The Wiimote, the PC, and Java

This chapter does not appear in the book.

The wiimote (or more formally, the Wii Remote) is best known as a controller for Nintendo's Wii console, but I'll be using it as an IO device for a Window's PC, and access its features via Java. Here's a brief list of topics:

• button detection (e.g. presses, releases, and held buttons);
• motion sensing, which supplies the wiimote's orientation and acceleration along three axes. I'll also convert the accelerometer information into basic flick gestures;
• IR tracking to locate the wiimote in 3D. An important element of successfully utilizing IR is calibrating the software;
• the Nunchuk attachment: its joystick, motion sensors, and buttons;
• a full-screen Swing application that employs the Wiimote as the input device.

I'll use the wiiuseJ library to implement these examples, and the commercial BlueSoleil Bluetooth stack running on Windows 7 (both 32- and 64-bit) to connect to the wiimote.

Downloads

• The PDF file for the draft chapter (1 MB). Last updated: 25th June 2014.
  
• Zipped code (24 KB). Last updated: 25th June 2014.
  
• Wiiuse Library Documentation written by Michael Laforest for version 0.12. Retrieved using the Wayback Machine (256 KB).

• Up to the Killer Game Programming in Java Index Page
• Back to NUI Chapter 14. Using the Leap Motion Controller
• On to Kinect Chapters 1 and 2. Kinect Imaging