Great Idea: Wii Remote Applications

http://tinyurl.com/6shbwwk 

           I am fortunate enough to go to a pretty well-off high school, where my teachers and I have access to state-of-the-art technology and equipment that aids my learning. However, there are many other people and school around the world that do not have nearly as much funding or access to technology as students of my high school do.  This begs the question: is advancing technology really at its full potential if it only benefits a select few? This is exactly the phenomenon that Johnny Lee observed about technology, and he found a way to help solve the problem.

       

              Lee discovered a very unusual and brilliant way to utilize the technology inside of a typical Wii remote controller. Located inside this relatively inexpensive and accessible piece of technology is a high quality infrared camera that has a plethora of possible applications. Utilizing this $40 remote control, Lee created software that can be used to create interactive whiteboard with multi-touch capability (something that I’m not even sure the Smartboards at my high school do). Just attaching the control to a projector creates a device that usually sells for hundreds of dollars; it’s truly amazing. As if that weren’t enough, he used the control to create a cheap way to view images in 3-D, which could revolutionize the video game industry.

          

              Finding a way to take the best that advanced technology has to offer, and make it accessible to as many people as possible is going to be a mindset that takes all of humankind of high levels. It’s important to remember that better technology has to be available to as many people as possible in order for it to truly benefit the human race, and by remembering this, Johnny Lee created a great idea.