iOS Idea: iPhone to control your Wii?

[ArtOfWarfare]

Okay, so there's already Darwiin remote for the Mac that lets you use a Wiimote to control your Mac, I'm now curious to see if it's possible to have it go the other way around, say, an iPhone control your Wii?

I'm just thinking...
Parts in Wiimote:
Bluetooth
Accelerometer
IR Camera
Add-on Port
Buttons
Speakers

The iPhone has all of this except the IR Camera (and the buttons, but then, the touch screen might substitute those pretty well.)

Is it feasible to make an app for the iPhone to make it work as a wiimote?

Heck, the iPhone 4 even has a gyroscope which would be like throwing in the Wiimotion Plus.

(I'm not seeing this as a money making idea so much as just a fun programming exercise... not for me, but someone with more know-how xD )

 

[robbieduncan]

The bluetooth stack on the iPhone is locked down so this could only ever work on Jailbroken phones.

 

[Mac'nCheese]

The bluetooth stack on the iPhone is locked down so this could only ever work on Jailbroken phones.

Remember all those stories about people who threw their wii remotes through the tv when they first came out. Why chance hurling your iPhone into the wall?

 

[ArtOfWarfare]

The bluetooth stack on the iPhone is locked down so this could only ever work on Jailbroken phones.

Ah, is that why Apple advertised the iPhone to iPhone connections being so easy in SDK 3 as a feature?

I haven't jailbroken my iPhone yet, and I'm not about to just to connect it to my Wii.

Remember all those stories about people who threw their wii remotes through the tv when they first came out. Why chance hurling your iPhone into the wall?

T.T

Did anyone personally know someone who did that?

I would guess about as many people threw their wiimotes into their TV as people threw any other video game controller into their TV.

 

[PhoneyDeveloper]

Possibly you could use a Mac as a repeater. Send network messages to an app on the Mac that then rebroadcasts them using bluetooth on the Mac.

 

[ArtOfWarfare]

Possibly you could use a Mac as a repeater. Send network messages to an app on the Mac that then rebroadcasts them using bluetooth on the Mac.

That sounds plausible... I was just thinking this might be convenient for when all the Wiimotes are dead and you can't find batteries. (This is what gave me the idea to start with.)

 

[robbieduncan]

That sounds plausible... I was just thinking this might be convenient for when all the Wiimotes are dead and you can't find batteries. (This is what gave me the idea to start with.)

But what would control latency be like with this. You have to have the iPhone send a packet over WiFi, the Mac receive that and then prepare to send the command over Bluetooth on top of your normal command latency.

 

[ArtOfWarfare]

But what would control latency be like with this. You have to have the iPhone send a packet over WiFi, the Mac receive that and then prepare to send the command over Bluetooth on top of your normal command latency.

Services like On Live lead me to think that it would be trivial even at 60 FPS.

 

[MorphingDragon]

The wii remote uses IR triangulation to determine te pointing. Your iphone would only be a useless button controller.

 

[ArtOfWarfare]

The wii remote uses IR triangulation to determine te pointing. Your iphone would only be a useless button controller.

It also relies on accelerometers, which the iPhone does have. And it might be feasible to somehow use the iPhone's camera... Like, instead of using inferred sources, have it notice bright red objects and use those instead... But then you have the issue the camera points at the ground when the iPhone is held like a remote...

 

[chocobavits]

Okay, it seems like nobody understands IR. The iPhone camera is more than capable of motion tracking. If you don't believe me point your camera at the wii tracking bar. You can clearly see all of the tracking points. I really want to see this happen. I don't want to game with it, but it would be amazing for watching netflix. I hate the wiimote for movie watching. The thing turns off constantly and you have to wait for it to reconnect. Batteries drain fast in a wiimote even just while watching movies.

 

[Psycdude]

Ah, is that why Apple advertised the iPhone to iPhone connections being so easy in SDK 3 as a feature?

I haven't jailbroken my iPhone yet, and I'm not about to just to connect it to my Wii.



T.T

Did anyone personally know someone who did that?

I would guess about as many people threw their wiimotes into their TV as people threw any other video game controller into their TV.

I don't know of anyone personally, however, my favorite example is this guy who breaks an LCD on home shopping network.
Skip to the 5 minute mark of the video.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a07W2t2wcRA

 

[tablo13]

People who threw their wiimote on their TVs? That's why there is a wrist strap on those But is there a way to put a strap on the iPhone?

 

[chown33]

But is there a way to put a strap on the iPhone?

Google search terms: handyman's secret weapon

 

[tablo13]

Google search terms: handyman's secret weapon

But wouldn't that make the iPhone sticky?

 

[mechanesthesia]

I can't believe it's 2011 and still no one has ever cracked this. Obviously it has to be jailbroken, but I would love to see something like this!! It's possible, the iPhone has everything you need. No hackers out there have figured this out!!! I've thought about this since day one!

 

[dejo]

I can't believe it's 2011 and still no one has ever cracked this. Obviously it has to be jailbroken, but I would love to see something like this!! It's possible, the iPhone has everything you need. No hackers out there have figured this out!!! I've thought about this since day one!

Well, here's your opportunity then, eh?

 

[Jmeliski]

Keyboard

Ok, I get that the iPhone would need to be jail broken to make it a wii remote but what about simply a keyboard? There are USB inputs on the wii and (I'm guessing cause I did this once with a play station) a wireless keyboard can be plugged in and used to type. Typing on the wii is one of the most annoying things ever. Is there a way to use the iPhone as a wireless keyboard so you can use the actual wii remote until the keyboard comes up, then use your phone's keyboard, just for that part?