Active Learning Attributes of Wii Peripherals in CS Education

The Wii console and its attendant peripheral hardware (Wii Controller, the “Nunchuck” expansion, the WiiMotionPlus, and the Wii Balance Board) are dropping in price, and are easily available. This makes it an ideal choice for CS laboratories looking for affordable sensors. This paper describes the hardware and embedded software of the relevant peripherals, as well as the software support available on PC in light of the use of said sensors in CS education. The paper's conclusions stem in part from the technology examined, and in part from a four-year experience with using Wii peripherals to enable active learning in CS courses. All of the peripherals communicate using the Bluetooth protocol, and the nature and structure of messages thus exchanged are considered. The sensor subsystems of the devices are considered and described. These include the accelerometer of the Wii Controller and the “Nunchuck”, the gyroscopes of the WiiMotionPlus, the button input of the Wii Controller, “Nunchuck,” the four weight sensors of the BalanceBoard, and the IR camera of the Wii Controller. The controller also possesses feedback mechanisms: indicator LEDs, a vibration motor, and an audio playback system, and the paper discusses how these mechanisms operate and how they may be utilized. Special attention is paid to the data format, precision, and range of the accelerometers, gyroscopes, and weight sensors, as well as the data format, precision, and sensitivity of the IR camera. The construction of auxiliary hardware intended to fully utilize the IR camera is discussed with reference to the sensitivity of the camera to various wavelengths, and to the limited field of view of the camera. The impact of all of the attributes of the hardware/software thus identified on its use in education is discussed, with special reference to the opportunities they open and the limitations they impose.