With just your Mac computer, a piece of free software by Johnny Chung Lee, and about US$50 worth of equipment, you can create a touch-screen computer. With a projector too, you can even create an interactive whiteboard – also known as a smart board.
Why would you want an interactive whiteboard? For education, and especially special education, there are many uses for something like this. Patrick Black has a good smart board resource roundup.
The fundamental idea involves connecting your Wiimote to your Mac computer, pointing the Wiimote to the area you want to use as a screen, and using an LED pen to touch the screen. The Infrared Sensor on the Wiimote detects where you touch and translates that to the computer as if you were moving the mouse.
Sam Sennott has written a great Wiimote Whiteboard in Education Tutorial which includes a video and PDF showing the setup. I recommend you use his resources in showing you what to buy and how to use it.
- Ricky Buchanan
Patrick Black February 17, 2009 at 12:01 pm
Thanks for the link Ricky! I love SMARTBoards and I’m hoping I’ll have one in my classroom next year! I can’t wait to try it out with my students. Keep up the blog, you always have great posts!
Ricky Buchanan February 19, 2009 at 11:56 am
@Patrick: I’ll want to hear how the SMARTboard goes across with your studenst – keep us updated!
Samuel February 19, 2009 at 3:39 pm
Ricky, Nice synthesis. Your blog is always so effective. Nice work, again. And thanks for the encouragement about the resource.
From,
Sam
Ricky Buchanan February 20, 2009 at 11:59 am
@Samuel: Thanks for putting it together! There’s no way I could do all the video stuff – not my skillset. I think we complement well
Genesis February 28, 2009 at 1:00 am
I`m not a Mac person, but this sounds like a really neat application! I can see how it would be useful for a lot of people, contractors to teachers.
Stephanie October 13, 2009 at 12:17 am
For Windows application, you guys cal try out the Smoothboard at http://www.smoothboard.net which has now comes out with its latest autoconnect mode.
John L December 23, 2009 at 6:57 pm
To make a “In-depth” wiimote whiteboard in Windows plateform, we recommend iwiiboard. check http://www.iwiiboard.com for details
John Sowash March 2, 2010 at 9:07 pm
I’ve been perfecting the use of the Wii IWB in my classroom for the past two years. I’ve posted lots of resources, tutorials, and tips on my blog: http://electriceducator.blogspot.com/2009/12/upcoming-posts-wii-interactive.html
My most recent post (March of 2010) is a comprehensive review of the IR pens from four different companies. That post can be accessed here: http://electriceducator.blogspot.com/2010/02/ir-pen-product-review-updated.html
Ricky Buchanan March 3, 2010 at 10:28 am
@John: Thanks for the useful links!
Jackie Lee April 19, 2011 at 1:32 pm
Another Wiimote IR Pen you don’t test yet ：）
http://www.oway-group.com/interactive-whiteboard/interactive-whiteboard-pen/
jONH May 11, 2010 at 6:49 am
I wan show you a software that allow
to use a wiimote such as whiteboard
writing annotation on the screen
http://code.google.com/p/ardesia/
jONH September 11, 2010 at 7:26 pm
Ardesia 0.4 is out!
http://code.google.com/p/ardesia/
Ardesia allows to draw and sketchup everywhere
The binary package is released for Ubuntu Lucid and Windows 7
you can use Ardesia with all the linux flavours, the source code
is free and released under the GPL terms
You can use it with a wiimote whiteboard or a graphic tablet;
in this way the lines are writing lighter or darker depending on
the pen pressure
You can export your work in the pdf format to create simple presentation, tutorial or document
Ardesia allow to record and the stream on icecast streaming server
thanks to the vlc media player and streamer
…Ardesia is free and simple as you are; Try it now!
Ricky Buchanan September 24, 2010 at 8:26 pm
jONH: Thanks for the heads-up, I hope you’ll let up know when Ardesia is available for OS X.
pietro November 7, 2010 at 2:10 am
Yes there is a release plan to be available Ardesia on mac
Now the 0.5 it’s out