Fluorescent Lights

Stray infrared light can cause problems with the wiimote whiteboard.Strong sunlight is the most common culprit, but another source that can be annoying is fluorescent lights.

These type of lights are very common in classrooms and offices - exactly the same
environments that the wiimote is usually found in!

The symptons of this type of interference often include difficulty in calibrating, the cursor jumping around and programmes opening by themselves. Our 3Pi term for this is "crazy mouse"!

There are two easy things that you can do to stop this problem:

1. Open the software control panel and reduce the sensitivity settings (by default they are set
fairly high). Make sure that you are using a quality ir pen with a fresh battery that can be
tracked at the new, lower sensitivity setting.
2. Turn those lights off!

Creative use of the Wiimote

A very interesting use of the wiimote system is to mount the projector and wiimote above a table and project the image onto it. The possibilities for co-operative group work is outstanding.

It's absolutely perfect for using software such as Inspiration http://www.inspiration.com/ to mindmap a new topic.

It also looks to be an excellent way to run a staff planning session - all thoughts and notes are digital and as such are easily shared or stored for future revision.

One practical way to mount the projector is using a solid tripod with a universal projector mount attached to it. Some commercial ceiling mounts also allow you to swivel them down.

We would love to hear of your experiences if you give this idea a go!

Connecting the Wiimote to a Computer - Part Two

Now that you've established that your computer has Bluetooth, you need to make sure it is enabled. (This is only necessary the first time you use it.)
You'll know if it is, because in the system tray at the bottom right of your computer, there will be an icon that looks like this:

If you don't see it, or the white lines are red, you will have to enable it.
The process to do this varies from computer to computer, and it may be a good idea to use the help function on your computer to find out what to do. However, there will probably be a utility in Control Panels (Windows OS) that will do it.

Once the blue icon is in your system tray you can click it to bring up the Bluetooth options.
Choose 'connect' and follow the steps. If the programme talks about a password or pairing, click 'skip' and continue. Now THE BIG THING - your Bluetooth will only be able to find the wiimote and connect to it if it is in 'discovery mode'. To put a wiimote into this mode you can, a) push buttons 1 & 2 at the same time, b) push the red button inside the battery cover, or c) push the remote synching button in our classroom kit.

You'll know you've put it into this mode because the row of blue lights on the wiimote will start flashing. They will keep flashing for around 20 seconds. If you haven't established the connection by then you will have to push the button(s) again.

When successfully connected, the lights will stop flashing and one will remain on. Also the Bluetooth icon in the system tray will turn green. This is good!


Just to recap:

1. Enable your Bluetooth
2. Open the Bluetooth programme
3. Put your wiimote into discovery mode
4. Push 'connect' in the Bluetooth programme
5. Follow the steps inthe programme (choose 'skip' or 'ignore' if it asks for a pairing
code or password)

Note: If you are not successful, it is likely that the wiimote came out of discovery mode before
you finished connecting. This can happen when you first try the process, but don't worry, it will become second nature after a couple of goes.


Please post a comment if you need any part of this process explained more fully.