Here are some ideas that came up during brainstorming sessions. If you have one that you would like to share, please email me at cfan2@wellesley.edu and I will add it to the list :)

WiiPaint 2
Google Earth
3D

Future Work

WiiPaint 2

One of the biggest drawbacks to the current WiiPaint program is its sketch application interface. We want to surpass the limitations of static point-and-click interfaces to create something that is more user friendly, interactive, and forgiving when we make mistakes. WiiPaint as a sketch application records your tiniest movements from the Wiimote's rough IR motion sensing capabilities, making it frustrating to sketch precisely. Past WiiPaint studies have shown that while children can be perfectly content to sketch rough drawings, adults are easily frustrated when a system does not do what they think it does and give up quickly. They are also less apt to be patient with exploring new systems and require some sort of manual or verbal instruction if they cannot figure it out in the first few minutes. Some abandon it altogther because it is not intuitive.

The idea of WiiPaint 2 was inspired by bomomo, a Javascript-based online art application that creates visually appealing abstract art. The mouse acts as a direction pointer rather than the actual position of the markers, creating smooth curves instead of jagged lines and using full body movement in lieu of pointing and clicking. The collaborative component of WiiPaint would be maintained by giving each Wiimote an equally important function rather than emphasizing drawing. For example, users can interact with different aspects of the program, such as color, sounds, and special effects for the full experience. Features would rely heavily on gesture recognition to minimize having to memorize each button's function.

This kind of application is ideal for a museum setting, where people of all ages and backgrounds can walk right up to the installation and start using it. Since the Wiimote has an IR camera, even audience members equipped with IR LEDs can participate. The result is an interactive social creation that draws strangers together and encourages collaboration in creating digital art.

Google Earth

Going back to my original vision for a Wiimote project, "To explore Wiimote capabilities outside of competitive gaming," led me to think about other current applications that break free of traditional Wiimote interaction as a game controller.

This Wiimote GlovePIE script allows you to control Google Earth with a Wiimote by pressing buttons to perform certain functions like rotating and zooming. In conjunction with Human-Robot Interaction research using Wiimotes for robotic navigation and posture control, I can create a GlovePIE script that uses gestures to navigate Google Earth without use of buttons. This would eliminate the need to memorize button functions, and explore 3D navigation in ways that can be applied to other 3D uses. After all, the Wiimote is a 3D tangible user interface.

3D

Creating a 3D WiiPaint was one of my goals during the summer before I decided to spend more time on 2D applications. There are many inspiring Papervision 3D applications to draw ideas from. I envisioned WiiPaint 3D to create ribbons across the screen, as if a dancer was holding a Wiimote and the application was mapping the movements into 3D space.