Wii MotionPlus
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The Wii MotionPlus is an expansion device that allows the Wii Remote
to more accurately capture complex motion. According to Nintendo, the
sensor in the device supplements the accelerometer and Sensor Bar
capabilities of the Wii Remote to enable actions to be rendered
identically on the screen in real time. The Wii MotionPlus was
announced by Nintendo in a press release on July 14, 2008, and
revealed the next day at a press conference at the E3 Media & Business
Summit. It will be bundled with the sports game collection Wii Sports
Resort, which is scheduled for release in Spring 2009. The device will
also be available for purchase separately. Red Steel 2, The Conduit,
and an EA Sports-branded tennis video game by EA Canada were announced
as Wii MotionPlus-compatible titles.
The device incorporates a dual-axis "tuning fork" angular rate sensor,
which can determine rotational motion. The information captured by the
angular rate sensor can then be used to distinguish true linear motion
from the accelerometer readings. This allows for the capture of more
complex movements than possible with the Wii Remote alone.
The Wii MotionPlus features a pass-through expansion port, allowing
other expansions such as the Nunchuk or Classic Controller to be used
simultaneously with the device. The attachment has a color-coded
mechanical slide switch for locking the clip release. When attached to
the Wii Remote, the unit extends the length of the controller body by
approximately 1½ inches. Each Wii MotionPlus will be packaged with a
longer version of the Wii Remote Jacket to accommodate the added
length.
The Wii MotionPlus was developed by Nintendo in collaboration with
game development tool company AiLive.[82] The sensor used is an
InvenSense IDG-600;[83] designed in accordance to Nintendo's
specification;[84][85] with a high dynamic range, high mechanical
shock tolerance, high temperature and humidity resistance, and small
physical size.[77]
In an interview with video game trade journal GameDaily BIZ, Satoru
Iwata stated that the Wii MotionPlus was conceived soon after the
completion of the initial Wii Remote design, to address developer
demand for more capable motion sensing, but was only announced after
the sensors could be purchased in sufficient volume at a reasonable
price.[86] During a developer roundtable discussion at E3 2008, Wii
Sports Resort producer Katsuya Eguchi discussed the potential
influence of the Wii MotionPlus on the Wii's existing market, stating
that Nintendo was looking at whether the MotionPlus capability will be
built into the Wii Remote in the future, or kept "as an attachment we
only use for certain software."[87]
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Remote controller again redefines game control, by more quickly and
accurately reflecting motions in a 3-D space. The Wii MotionPlus
accessory attaches to the end of the Wii Remote and, combined with the
accelerometer and the sensor bar, allows for more comprehensive
tracking of a player=92s arm position and orientation, providing
players
with an unmatched level of precision and immersion. Every slight
movement players make with their wrist or arm is rendered identically
in real time on the screen, providing a true 1:1 response in their
game play. The Wii MotionPlus accessory reconfirms Nintendo=92s
commitment to making games intuitive and accessible for everyone.
Nintendo will reveal more details about the Wii MotionPlus accessory
and other topics Tuesday morning at its E3 media briefing.
http://www.nintendo.com/whatsnew/detail/eMMuRj_N6vntHPDycCJAKWhEO9zBvyPH
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Interview: Wii Motion Creators
Who we have to thank for making the Wii what we all thought it was
going to be in the first place.
by Daemon Hatfield
July 23, 2008 - Next spring, over two years after the launch of the
Wii, we'll finally get 1:1 motion control. Those sublte movements that
have previously caused the system to freak out will be possible. We
caught up with InvenSense, maker of the Wii Motion Plus technology, to
find out more about the device. Some of the following interview gets
fairly technical, so it might be helpful to check out InvenSense's
informational video comparing accelerometers and gyroscopes before you
keep reading, to get a general idea of how the new chipset works.
Gyroscopes and Accelerometers Compared
http://www.invensense.com/support/library.html
IGN: So tell us a little about what you did with the Wii Motion Plus.
Joe Virginia, VP of Wireless Business and Corporate Communications for
InvenSense: What we're doing is, in combination with the sensor bar
and the three axis accelerometer that is available within the current
Wii Remote, we're now introducing MEMS gyroscope capability. And what
that allows you is, rather than just having up/down, left/right, back/
forth motion, you now have the ability to do rotational movements
within each of those X, Y, and Z axis. So if you imagine you had
extended straight out and twisted your hand, now you have the ability
to measure rotational force. Did you have an opportunity to use the
Wii Motion Plus attachment?
IGN: Yes, I got to play the sword fighting game in Wii Sports Resort.
Virginia: Great, so you had the opportunity to swing the sword above
your head, behind your head, thrust right, thrust forward. All of
those types of motions in the past weren't possible, but this is the
gyroscope capability, combined with the accelerometer and the sensor
bar within the Wii remote system that bring a new level of gameplay.
There were several other things. Maybe not as cool of a game, but I'm
looking at it from a motions sensing perspective, do you remember the
jet ski demonstration? If you notice how [Reggie Fils-Aime] was using
the throttle in the jet ski application where you had to move left and
right and move through the course. The throttling really showed
rotational movement that has never been able to be tracked before by
the Wii Remote controller. So that was another area where rotational
force was used.
So the multi axis gyroscope provides new capabilities to game
developers. Now there's where the line is drawn. We provide the
capability as a motions sensing provider and the game developer takes
that and says "Okay what can we do with this new capability?" If you
can measure six degrees of freedom in free space, a game developer has
enormous opportunities. As you saw in Wii Sports Resort, the ability
to control the angle of a disc flying through space, sword fighting.
We can envision things in the future like golf swings. There's a very,
very fast rotational time. The kind of specification we're looking at
in response is between 500 and 2,000 degrees per second. So a very,
very fast response, such as for golf swings or sword motions. So all
we do is provide the capabilities and enable that, but that's where we
stop and the game developers take over.
IGN: So what's the story behind your partnership with Nintendo? Who
approached whom?
Virginia: Well, I can't get into the details of how all that began.
All I'm permitted to say is that both companies were leaders in their
respective fields, and the partnership just made sense. You've got the
motion sensing leader in gaming understanding that a company called
InvenSense makes a low cost, high performance gyroscope product with
the ability to mass produce.
IGN: Is this InvenSense's first partnership with a gaming company?
Virginia: I can't say yes or no to that question. As you might imagine
there are other gaming companies that InvenSense is working with. What
we're proud about the Nintendo relationship is this will be, I do
believe the first to market with our product, the IDG 600. But that is
not to say this is an exclusive relationship. The IDG 600 is not a
custom product, but it is a product that has been designed with
Nintendo's specification in mind.
IGN: The IDG 600 reportedly has a 10,000G shock rating. What does that
mean for gamers?
Virginia: Imagine holding your cellphone over a concrete floor, you're
one meter high from that. Let go of your cell phone, let it smash on
the floor, and pick up your phone and use it. That gives you an idea
of a 10,000 G chock rating. What you can imagine from this is that
hands are swinging wildly. These devices are known to be used
vigorously. The type of rating that we're looking at, because it's a
semi-conductor packaged, hermetically sealed device, would mean it is
incredibly robust and would be able to survive an incredibly harsh
environment where those hands are swinging wildly. We were able to
increase the precision and response time, without making it more
delicate.
True 1:1?
IGN: Does the Wii Motion Plus provide absolutely true 1:1 movement, or
is that even possible with today's technology?
Virginia: Well it's certainly possible with the technology we're
offering them, in combination with other sensors. We're not the
exclusive sensor provider. There is the accelerometer and the sensor
bar. The combination of everything together will provide true 1:1
gaming. Nintendo is able to offer six degrees of freedom. If you
imagine an X, Y, Z frame. Now imagine it's not just up down left
right, back forth, but also rotation. That's the maximum amount of
motion that can ever be tracked.
IGN: Will the Wii Motion Plus drain the batteries faster?
Virginia: That's really a system issue and that's something we have no
knowledge of from the design perspective. There is some power
consumption, sure.
IGN: How many accelerometers are in the Wii Motion Plus?
Virginia: It's one multi-axis accelerometer.
IGN: And how subtle can you get with your movement?
Virginia: It's incredibly high precision, so that's difficult to say.
All I can say is the combination of the sensor bar, the gyroscopes,
and the accelerometer it's more than enough for any gaming purposes.
IGN: We've seen a few applications for how the device can be used: jet
skiing, sword fighting. What other games do you see this being used
for?
Virginia: Anything that has to do with moving your hand rapidly. So
tennis motions, or golf swings. My mind isn't nearly as good a game
developer's. From a personal perspective I'd like to fight monsters
with my own movements. Using those forward thrusts and twist, sword
fighting is something that instantly comes to mind, but also it'd work
for golf swings. Or bowling where you could put a twist on the ball
and actually bowl. I can hardly wait to see what developer's come up
with. Putting this kind of capability is the hand of developers is
going to make this a must have.