WIIMOTE Inexpensive Smart Board

[Michael Scott]

After a couple of fits and starts, the prototype WIImote interactive whiteboard is done. I got it all working today and think it shows great promise for little money. I confess, Ididn't make my own LED pen. Instead, I found a decent infrared miniature flashlight on the web for about 20 bucks. It's nicely constructed and seems to do the trick just fine. So, for the cost of WIImote (39.99)and a 20 dollar LED flashlight, I have what costs considerably more from the proprietary side. Still, it's not working flawlessly yet, and I need to refine the alingment of WIImote so it gets the board and not the user. Pretty cool idea though and I hope we can use it practically in a year where our technology dollars are kind of thin.

[Melissa Rollosson]

I showed my husband a video off YouTube and he went and got a Wii remote the next day, made a pen - all waiting for me when I got home. Took it to work the next day, we tested it, made some changes, etc and it works pretty darn well. He made a new pen - the original looked like a pipe bomb, complete with red button. This time he scavenged a Crayola marker from our daughter. He has the know-how so my pen was about $2.00 for the LED. I have one teacher who has already gotten her own Wii remote so we can get her set up.
We have found that the remote works best head-on, you simply have to angle yourself a bit. Since I am used to standing at a board looking at the class anyway....

[Melissa Rollosson]

I tried to post a fwe days ago and got an odd message, so I will try again.
I've got one I love to take into classrooms - a Wii remote case with the remote, pen (a former Crayola marker my husband gutted), a Bluetooth adapter, and a USB drive with software (calibration, pen tools, etc.). The first classroom I took it into now has one of its own.
We found we have to elevate the Wii remote above a "cart - LCD" about 10" - 12" to get good tracking. Placed straight on works pretty well since few teachers ever turn their backs completely on a class.