As of October 2013, I can no longer get these programs to work with Windows 7's latest updates. It was a fun ride!
Looking Professional
The most common excuse that I have gotten from others for not using the Wiiboard is that it doesn't look professional. Well, I finally found the perfect solution. Penteractive has professional looking setups for under $120 including the Wiimote, Bluetooth adapter, mounts, and software. The only other thing you will need is a projector. I will be using the Pentabulous! and Massive Board programs from this site from now on. The Wiimote presenter software looks very intriguing as well, but not quite as applicable for my classroom.
I really like this pen.
I really like this pen.
More Wiimote Applications
Done
I finished the WiiBoard Project. It works very well; however, for someone who likes things to be challenging, I found this project disappointing. It only took half an hour to build the infrared pen. Within fifteen minutes of getting the Wiimote from UPS, the WiiBoard was working flawlessly. This project should be able to be completed by anyone with minimal computer skills and the ability to follow directions. I will be very happy to use this in my classroom next year.
Build Your Own SMART Board Alternative
Tutorial from Nipissing University (North Bay, Ontario, Canada)
Johnny Chung Lee's (creator) Video
Wiiboard Project
Materials:
Projector
Wii Remote
Bluetooth Adapter
Infrared LED Pen
Software (Freeware):
Wiiboard by Johnny Chung Lee click here or MAC version click here
or
Smoothboard click here (Professional license is necessary ($30 or cheaper for schools) so that you don't get a flashing upgrade here box all of the time. I am happy with the free Wiiboard software mentioned above.
Installation:
Unzip the software files and follow the instructions in the included documents
Note: The Wii controller (Wiimote) must be at an angle (15 degrees or so) between the center of the projected screen and the projector. Be sure to place the Wiimote in a location where you will not block the signal between the infrared pen and the Wiimote. I have found recommendations to place the controller at the height of the center of the screen and a distance greater than or equal to twice the distance of the projected imange's height. For example, my screen is 48 inches high. That means that I must place the controller at least 96 inches from the screen. You can play around with this to get a good location before using the WiiBoard with students. My system happens to work with the Wiimote directly on top of my projector.
Projector
Wii Remote
Bluetooth Adapter
Infrared LED Pen
Software (Freeware):
Wiiboard by Johnny Chung Lee click here or MAC version click here
or
Smoothboard click here (Professional license is necessary ($30 or cheaper for schools) so that you don't get a flashing upgrade here box all of the time. I am happy with the free Wiiboard software mentioned above.
Installation:
Unzip the software files and follow the instructions in the included documents
Note: The Wii controller (Wiimote) must be at an angle (15 degrees or so) between the center of the projected screen and the projector. Be sure to place the Wiimote in a location where you will not block the signal between the infrared pen and the Wiimote. I have found recommendations to place the controller at the height of the center of the screen and a distance greater than or equal to twice the distance of the projected imange's height. For example, my screen is 48 inches high. That means that I must place the controller at least 96 inches from the screen. You can play around with this to get a good location before using the WiiBoard with students. My system happens to work with the Wiimote directly on top of my projector.