Previous Related Project

1. Classroom of the future
http://www.etc.cmu.edu/projects/cof/
Classroom of the future is a previous ETC project. Part of this project is about using modern digital device as teaching instrument in the classroom. It introduces Wiimote as a finger tracking tool that allows guests to interactive with a virtual whiteboard. It uses a external UDP server to collect Wiimote data and sends the data into a Panda world. Also, it transforms the Wiimote IR coordinate data and map it on a 2D screen(whiteboard). According to Sharkee's latest discovery, there is another way to access Wiimote data directly. Moreover, we just abandoned the server-client structure. Therefore, it seems less helpful to us now~


2. Virtual Reality
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virtual_reality

Virtual reality (VR) is a technology which allows a user to interact with a computer-simulated environment, be it a real or imagined one. Most current virtual reality environments are primarily visual experiences, displayed either on a computer screen or through special or stereoscopic displays, but some simulations include additional sensory information, such as sound through speakers or headphones. Some advanced, haptic systems now include tactile information, generally known as force feedback, in medical and gaming applications. Users can interact with a virtual environment or a virtual artifact (VA) either through the use of standard input devices such as a keyboard and mouse, or through multimodal devices such as a wired glove, the Polhemus boom arm, and omnidirectional treadmill. The simulated environment can be similar to the real world, for example, simulations for pilot or combat training, or it can differ significantly from reality, as in VR games. In practice, it is currently very difficult to create a high-fidelity virtual reality experience, due largely to technical limitations on processing power, image resolution and communication bandwidth. However, those limitations are expected to eventually be overcome as processor, imaging and data communication technologies become more powerful and cost-effective over time.

3. Johnny Lee's IR Head Tracking

Johnny Lee has a blog post about other Wiimote IR-tracking projects, which includes the anime girl video that clearly shows the "fishtank effect" happening with a background that does not include a grid. We should be able to do this in an arbitrary Panda3D world, if we get the math right. According to Johnny Lee (and other websites), the Wiimote sends data at 100Hz, or 100 times a second.

Previous Related Product

1. HMD - Helmet Mounted Display

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Head-mounted_display
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Helmet_mounted_display

HMD price and compare
http://vresources.org/HMD_rezanalysis.html
http://www.inition.co.uk/inition/compare.php?SubCatID=16
http://www.stereo3d.com/hmd.htm

2. Virtual Boy
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nintendo_Virtual_Boy
Virtual Boy was the first portable game console capable of displaying "true 3D graphics". Most video games are forced to use monocular cues to achieve the illusion of three dimensions on a two-dimensional screen, but the Virtual Boy was able to create a more accurate illusion of depth through the effect known as parallax. In a manner similar to using a head-mounted display, the user looks into an eyepiece made of neoprene on the front of the machine, and then an eyeglass-style projector allows viewing of the monochromatic (in this case, red) image. It was released on July 21, 1995 in Japan and August 14, 1995 in North America at a price of around US$180. It met with a lukewarm reception that was unaffected by continued price drops. Nintendo discontinued it the following year.The Virtual Boy is considered Nintendo's only major failure in the home video game market.

3. Similar IR tracking
(1) Wii
http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~johnny/projects/wii/

(2) Xbox Live Camera
http://www.xbox.com/en-US/hardware/x/xboxlivevision/

(3) PlayStation Eye
Using the filter to block out all light but infrared, the PlayStation Eye can track the location of the light, moving the viewpoint according to the position of the beam.
http://kotaku.com/351539/vr-head-tracking-for-the-ps3
http://0rz.tw/ce5ip

(4) Tracker IR
http://www.naturalpoint.com/trackir/
http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=NaturalPointKevin
NaturalPoint's Warren Blyth demonstrates and explains a form of optical tracking technology that is now being used to enhance control in flight, racing,
and FPS games and hints at what's coming next. TrackIR.com has more information.

Compating wiimote and webcam

When testing head tracking using the Wiimote, it seems the camera might not have a wide enough field of view for our project. However, according to Johnny Lee's website,
 "The wii remote contains a 1024x768 camera with built-in hardware for IR blob tracking of upto 4 points at 100Hz. This significantly outperforms any $40 webcam I'm aware of. It will work with a webcam, just not as well and not as easily."

So, our plan is to continue playtesting with Wiimotes and only try to use a webcam if the Wiimote is really not working.

This site shows how to remove the IR filter from a webcam - most webcams block IR to get a better visual image. We would have to crack the camera open and remove the IR-blocking filter.