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How to Make Your Own Smartboard From a Wii Controller

The Nintendo Wiimote allows for sophisticated gameplay involving motion detection and accurate pointing, but Wii games have only begun to scratch the surface of the Wiimote's potential. Every Wiimote features an infrared camera that allows the remote to track up to four infrared points simultaneously. Each remote also has a Bluetooth connection that it uses to communicate with a Wii. This connection can also be used to communicate with a PC. Combining all of these technologies and a bit of clever software allows you to utilize the Wii controller to create a smartboard for input to your computer.

Things You'll Need

Wii remote
Bluetooth USB adapter
PC running Windows XP or newer
Infrared pen

Instructions

- 1
  Download the latest version of Wiimote Whiteboard from the link included in the Resources section of this article. Extract the contents of the archive to your desktop.
- 2
  Install your Bluetooth USB adapter following the manufacturer's instructions. Choose to use the Microsoft Bluetooth manager rather than the manufacturer's manager.
- 3
  Open "Bluetooth Devices" from your computer's Control Panel. Click "Add," check the box indicating that "My device is set up and ready to be found," and click "Next."
- 4
  Open the battery hatch of your Wiimote and press the red button. Hold the "1" and "2" buttons on your Wiimote while your computer searches for it, and continue holding these two buttons until the end of this step. Select "Nintendo RVL-CNT-01" when it appears in the device window and click "Next." Select "Don't use a pass key," click "Next," and click "Finish."
- 5
  Within 10 seconds of releasing the buttons on the Wiimote, open the Wiimote Whiteboard executable.
- 6
  Position the Wiimote in a location where it will be able to detect the light from your infrared pen when you use it on the screen. The front of the Wiimote should have an unrestricted line of sight to the tip of your IR pen while you are working at the whiteboard.
- 7
  Press the "A" button on your Wiimote to calibrate the whiteboard. Click your IR pen on each of the four crosshairs on the projector to calibrate. After all four points are calibrated, your whiteboard should be ready to go.
- 8
  Repeat Steps 3-5 each time you reconnect your Wiimote and Steps 6 and 7 each time you change the Wiimote's location.

Nintendo Wii