Inside the Wiimote Part Deux


Anyone can cut a Wiimote into pieces. But can they interview the musically-named Benedetto Vigna about MEMS units? I don’t think so. That’s where we need the New York Times.

Michel Marriott, the Ponce De Leon of controller exploration, discusses how Bluetooth, IR, and tiny accelerometers all work together to make Link ride around on a horse.

He said the motion sensors, using the technology that activates vehicle air bags, can accurately sense three axes of acceleration: up and down, left to right, and forward and backward.

This is mostly achieved within the MEMS, micron-size machines that depend on submicroscopic structures carved into the silicon. For example, one structure moves like a tiny diving board, stimulated by the actions of the game players.

I had a submicroscopic structure once, but I passed it after drinking lots of juice.

At the Heart of the Wii, Micron-Size Machines [NYTimes]