n900 as a Wiimote
 

Would it be possible to use the n900 as a makeshift wiimote replacement for those times when you are short a controller? I know it only has an accelerometer and doesn't have that nifty IR camera that the wiimote gets most of it's position data from, but for simple games I think the combination of the keyboard (or maybe even an onscreen gamepad) and the accelerometer might make it a useful stand in.

So does anyone know of any work done emulating a wiimote? I know there are linux drivers for the wiimote which to me means someone understands the protocol used enough to create them, could we use this knowledge in reverse?

Re: n900 as a Wiimote
 

Seems it shouldn't be too hard to talk with the Wiimote:

$ apt-cache search wiimote | sort
gtkwhiteboard - GTK+ Wiimote Whiteboard
libcwiid1-dev - library to interface with the wiimote -- development
libcwiid1 - library to interface with the wiimote
libcwiimote-0.4 - simple nintendo wii remote framework
libcwiimote-dev - simple nintendo wii remote framework (development files)
lswm - wiimote discover utility
python-cwiid - library to interface with the wiimote
transfermii-gui - transfer your mii from and to your wiimotes
transfermii - transfer your mii from and to your wiimotes
wiipdf - present a PDF file using your wiimote
wmgui - GUI interface to the wiimote
wminput - Userspace driver for the wiimote

(On Linux/x86-64.)

Re: n900 as a Wiimote
 

Will the accelerometer on the N900 like fit with the Nintendo Wii?

Re: n900 as a Wiimote
 

This should have most of the info you'd need to do it: http://wiibrew.org/wiki/Wiimote

Re: n900 as a Wiimote
 

I don't believe there have been any third-party Wiimotes clones released, which makes me think that there is probably public-key encryption stuff going on so that only official Wiimotes will work with the Wii.

Re: n900 as a Wiimote
 

There's the Nyko Wand, and if the Wiimote was going to have to talk an encrypted protocol to the Wii it would seem strange for it to support talking an unencrypted one to other devices at all.

Re: n900 as a Wiimote
 

I set up a brainstorm idea for it,
@brainstorm http://maemo.org/community/brainstorm/view/wii-mote
@talk http://talk.maemo.org/showthread.php?t=33664

Re: n900 as a Wiimote
 

Ah that's good to know, so that means it is technically possible, unless they had to buy a licence from Nintendo.

Still, I wonder why we haven't seen dozens of clones? For all previous consoles, there were lots of third party controllers as it's a quick money earner, and for something as successful as the Wii, I would have thought there would be more. There are plenty of third-party jackets and balance board bags etc. after all.

Re: n900 as a Wiimote
 

theres a lot of technology built in the wiimote, an infrared cam, accelerometer & bluetooth transmitter. Are there any 3rd party controllers for the ps3? I think some from thrustmaster and maybe 1-2 more companies, but the rule always was: If the controller is connected via a wireless connection, 3rd party versions are very rarely to be found.

Re: n900 as a Wiimote
 

@allnameswereout, baksiidaa

Those are great resources for connecting to and talking to the wiimote but the goal here is to connect to and talk to the Wii pretending we are the wiimote.

@GunnerzMate

I think so, they are both 3-axis accelerometers right? Although I don't know their relative resolutions.


I am looking over the protocols now and seeing what I can figure out, will get back to all of you soon.