PixArt to provide object tracking tech for Wii
by Ken Weeks 
{ May 14th 2006 at 4:15AM }
Ever wonder who will be responsible for the motion sensing part of Nintendo's motion-sensing Wii remote? PixArt Imaging Corporation, "a market leader in CMOS sensor SoC (System-On-a-Chip) and related application semiconductors," has issued a press release announcing a strategic relationship to provide object-tracking technology to Nintendo:
PixArt's Multi-Object Tracking™ engine (MOT sensor™) technology can track multiple objects in an unbelievably quick and responsive way. As a result, Nintendo can enable its new gaming controller to interact with people by tracking the movement of the Wii Remote. The playing experience will be unprecedented, exciting and easy, even for young children or older people who cannot operate the traditional gaming controllers.
It's not clear from the release whether PixArt's tech will improve the performance of the remote or if this is what was used in the E3 demo units. God know there are plenty of people who can't operate traditional gaming controllers. Some of them write for this blog.
Get a WordPress.com Blog
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Ian @ May 14th 2006 4:51AM
My guess is already in use, and this sorta confirms my earlier suspicions regarding the function of the sensor bar.
The sensor bar contains LEDs that blink in a defined pattern with defined timing. The wiimote has a camera behind the panel in the front, and images the sensor bar. From this it can determine distance and roll (reasonably accurately) and horizontal position and yaw (less accurately) relative to the bar. This puts it on a circle orbiting the axis of the bar. Using the on-board xlr and gyro it can determine the pitch which combined with the known data provides the vertical position. It also gets a second sampling of the roll.
norp @ May 14th 2006 5:26AM
In response to #1, i'm sure now that we know who owns the patent you can probably find some relatively detailed information in that document.
Although it depends when they filed it since the patent office tends to be a little slow (with a lot of NDS patents not showing up till long after release)
Ian @ May 14th 2006 5:44AM
#2: The patents I've seen so far all deal with xlr or xlr+gyro configurations. From the sounds of it, PixArt has no reason to own any of the IP relating to an xlr+gyro+camera system (they deal exclusively with the image sensor and image processing) so my guess is we'll be in the dark with regards to the technical specifics of the wiimote for a while still.
Marauderz @ May 14th 2006 8:28AM
One question though.. if it's realiant on optical sensors to detect motion how can Excite truck work when the way you hold it and cover the camera port. I guess in those conditions all it does is use the motion sensor
x23 @ May 14th 2006 11:13AM
"The sensor bar contains LEDs that blink in a defined pattern with defined timing."
do you know for certain? has anyone videotaped one yet to see if that is the case for sure? (since the presumably IR lights would show on a video camera.)
i thought i heard somewhere that the bar could be located to the rear of you for use in projection set-ups. how would it work then?
are we sure this isn't more like the motion tracking that simply buffers what it sees and looks for when say... the pixel in 1x1 just moved down 17 pixels and 345 to the right... in that it's not tracking any *one* thing in particular but instead tracking an entire ever changing random scene?
i think an example of this i saw recently was gizmondo related i believe. using the units camera to control the in-game camera by tracking random scene changes in the 'real world'.
wii man @ May 14th 2006 11:26AM
all of that wirless technology and then they have a wire between the remote and the analog...how stupid..
Instead of a stand for the console why not make a recharging stand for the controls like a shaver does. And make them seperate...dumb asses..
x23 @ May 14th 2006 11:54AM
yes. because making sure two things were charged before playing a game would be much better than one thing.
... and being a violence prone gamer (of course) ... how would i be able to garotte my friends after loosing in Mario Kart?
i assume by 'like a shaver does' you are referring to electromagnetic induction charging? how do we know it doesn't? has anyone seen specs saying otherwise? i haven't. and i've been following it pretty close.
wii man @ May 14th 2006 12:24PM
look i im not the damn r n d , im just the supervisor, this is what i want, make it hapen. seperate hand-held components, recharged in a stand like how they were displayed in the show.
withoutasol @ May 14th 2006 1:37PM
Shouldn't sony own them by now? =P
foobar @ May 14th 2006 2:23PM
There was a news snippet on Heise-Online that said the PixArt-sensor is not currently used but will be added in the future to improve accuracy. At the moment accelerometers from STMicroelectronics and Analog Devices are used (allegedly an ADXL330).
Here are the other press releases:
http://www.st.com/stonline/stappl/press/news/year2006/t2031.htm
http://www.analog.com/en/press/0,2890,3%255F%255F99573,00.html
Eric @ May 14th 2006 3:17PM
It's cool that the sensor bar can detect more than one controller like that video of Duck Hunt.
Yeah, for the Wiimote it should have it's own DOCK (for four controllers) and Reachargeable battery (any kind, preferably lithium ion).
Digital @ May 14th 2006 3:32PM
I just wanted to comment on the wii. I'm surfing the web, and so many news stories I read are talking about the wii likes its sliced bread. They are using practically off the shelf parts, and if anything are losing about 50-100 bucks on each console, which will probably be only for the first 2 or three months. meanwhile ms and ps are pissed because even with there 8 quadrillion speed processors, they cannot beat the reaction people get from playing the wii. Everybody's like " once you play it you'll buy it". Can't wait to get it, and i hope it works with my ds lite too.
PorpoiseMuffins @ May 14th 2006 3:45PM
In response to "Wii Man": Would you want to have to keep track of and replace the batteries for a wireless sensor bar?
I didn't think so.
Jensen @ May 14th 2006 5:47PM
The PixArt tracking system is similar to an infrared optical mouse. Instead of tracking the texture of any surface, it tracks the IR emitters on the bar.
It is used in any Wii program that uses a cursor.
luke @ May 14th 2006 6:25PM
Did you guys all see that you can prepay Wii games on ebgames.com now? Same with PS3... seems kinda strange given that you cant prepay the systems yet
wii man @ May 14th 2006 7:30PM
Porpoise Muffins
wtf are you talking about, batteries for the sensor? im talking bout the controls, i dun care bout the sensor, Who said Sensor?
And wots with the "I didnt think so?" U want me to reply on this thing in betweeen your message?
P.S. please disregard comment if u a r a girl, i love you, and if your not then f8ck you and where you came from.
wii man @ May 14th 2006 7:32PM
mmm yer star dat shit up
Siberian @ May 14th 2006 8:23PM
Recently, I have been in a conversation with a developper in the Montreal area and he has disclose some interesting information regarding the WII console.
The console will sport a modified single core 2GHz G5 processor (the core modification are similar in principle to core modification done on the G3 for the Gekko). The ATI graphic card will be very similar to the XBOX 360 except for some special feature required by nintendo (did not specified but comments on the depth of graphics?!) He also mention that the system should indeed be able to output resolution of 720P... However, he mention that nintendo will not imposed any graphic requirements for software developpers other then some regular QA stuff. This mean that some game ports will be able to be played in 720P as well as exclusive if developed to display this resolution. The WII will also be able to be connected to a computer monitor using a special connector. He mention that developper Kits does not have this graphic card yet include, just a modified version of the gamecube, this is why the game show at E3 did not looked much better then a gamecube game but mention to me that he have seen games on alpha version of the new graphic card and it will be surprising even if display in 480P. He mention to me that the texture were very good and add some realism in the graphics ??!
Apparently the target price will be 249$ US including WII Sport and some dowload credit for classic software download.
All this sounds very exciting and I certainly will want to look closely at one. I have been a nintendo fan but the gamecube was in my opinion a failure since I was unable to play some of my favorite games (i.e. lucasarts star wars games, good Racing simulators, flight simulators). I hope this time, WII will be really inclusive and the core gamers will be serve as well as casual gamers and kid. We will see...
Moogle @ May 14th 2006 8:36PM
I'm so very confused. I've been assuming that it'll be kinda like a long distance version of a wacom tablet, where the 'pen' is sensed with radio. I've been wondering about that black patch on the front of the controller though, for a while I assumed that it might be able to control IR devices like a vcr or audio setup or something and Nintendo just hadn't commented on it.
But it does seem like it could be a camera that captures IR LEDs on the bar. The PixArt thing really implies this is true... I find this less interesting than radio distance measurement for some reason...
Time to investigate...
Two redish spots below TV here:
http://www.joystiq.com/media/2006/05/nin8.jpg
Better image of the setup, with a camera that apparently has a better IR filter on it:
http://www.joystiq.com/media/2006/05/Red-Steel-E3-2k6.jpg
Yup, definitely looks like the wii sensor bar emits IR.
I'll apologize now for pretending to have a damned clue what I was talking about every time I said the wiimote would use multiple transmitters and receivers to determine location. *hangs head in shame* I are a dumb ass.
Looks like the wiimote uses rotation sensors for twisting, and/or linear sensors to tell relative location, and uses a camera at the front to (re)orient itself with respect to the TV. Since the camera only needs to be monochrome, it should be pretty high-res and probably does have pretty good accuracy. It also can be used in tandem with the other sensors to correct accumulated error. Games like excite truck that don't point at the screen apparently don't know absolute location so it will work just like the PS3 controller for them, until you point it at the screen again.
Actually, I think I just realized something...
http://www.playfeed.com/blogimages/wii_sensor_bar.jpg
Looks like usb...
But does the Wii really need to flash the IR leds? I don't see why. I think it may only use USB for power, and you might be able to plug the sensor bar into *anything*, like an iPod charger. So you might, in fact, put your wii by your projector and put your 10' cabled sensor bar by your projector screen, plugged into the wall (Or if not, at least USB extended or something.
I guess it is probably more accurate than radio sensors would be at that distance.
Actually, this means it IS a light-gun. Instead of the gun being the on-off signal and the TV refresh providing location, the remote provides the location information and the sensor bar is a pair of reference points. So everyone that screamed "No! It's not just a light gun"... in fact, it's just a really, *really* fancy lightgun. Heh.
Moogle @ May 14th 2006 8:53PM
Wii Man: Your posts are barely intelligible, so you'll have to excuse people that don't understand you. If it's a problem, then spend more time correcting your posts.
As for the remotes, they've already shown a picture of a recharging stand for them. I won't be bothered to dredge for pictures for you with the attitude you have.
As for the cord between the nunchuk and the remote, it only makes sense. You're going to be holding both anyway, so it's not a problem, and having more radio transmitters just means more cost, more batteries that fail over time, more easy to lose, etc. Basically a whole lot of crap that's not worth dropping one little cord that won't bother anyone.
BTW, you've asked about the star system before and I don't know if anyone ever clarified: Stars are for each person, not each post. They're awarded by the Joystiq crew when you add to conversation and subtracted when you flame or act like a moron. Begging for stars is very unlikely to work, and is probably counterproductive.
Kris Aubuchon @ May 14th 2006 9:31PM
Yeah the point that moogle brings up is a pretty good one. The fact that the sensor bar does not actually send any information to the console itself (the remote would) then it solves the issue of console and wire placement, it wouldn't have to be connected to the Wii persay, but any USB power source, which is good news to me.
I also don't know how credible Siberian is, but I think it's safe to assume that Nintendo will bundle a game with the launch as well as points/credit for use for the virtual console situation. This makes a lot of sense because the number one question I got from non-gamers (when working game retail) was "does this come with a game?" Iy just makes the thing more appealing to buy as some sort of gift too, really easy for the consumer, because you can play with it right out of the box. As far as the virtual console goes, they want you to try it and get you hooked, so you keep coming back for more retro titles. If that's the case with lauch, Nintendo is just continually making good decisions. What would really blow my mind would be if they included two of the wiimotes.
They want us to "Play together" so what better way to do it than to include multiplayer functionality right out of the box? I'd but this at a slim 10% chance of ahppening, but it would be a pretty amazing marketing moved.
Siberian @ May 14th 2006 10:20PM
Kris
I understand you comments and you have the right to questions my informations. I am from montreal and work in the science field. Sometime, I need some custom software to be written and I contract the work to a person that work for a large game company based in Montreal. He knows that I am an avid gamer so we sometime discuss about our respective work. He is very enthousisas about what is going on with the WII console and he share some input with me. I can't verified if the informations are accurate, but I know for who he is working and is position in the company so, I have all the reason to believe that this information are true.
Jappleng @ May 14th 2006 10:51PM
May I say this? - Briliant!!!
Ross Miller @ May 15th 2006 12:21AM
Wait a second ... those are MY hands.
I thought that shirt looked familiar ...
n3rrd @ May 15th 2006 1:10AM
I believe the bar is just to let the console know where the T.V. is.
You have to point your controller SOMEWHERE as a point of reference, and if they didn't include the bar, that point of reference would have to be the console. That would mean you would have to leave the console by your television.
I'm pretty sure it's simply to keep the controller oriented, and set it's point of reference (where forward and center is).
Dave @ May 15th 2006 2:15AM
moogle: good find (the visible IR on the bar)
Excite truck doesn't need recalibration. It is measuring the constant acceleration of gravity.
If the controller isn't moving much, the pitch and roll of the controller can always be calculated accurately.
Jeremy @ May 15th 2006 4:39PM
This is news to me: http://www.xgaming.com/newsletter/Wii%20Dupe.shtml
PorpoiseMuffins @ May 17th 2006 11:50PM
"Porpoise Muffins
wtf are you talking about, batteries for the sensor? im talking bout the controls, i dun care bout the sensor, Who said Sensor?
And wots with the "I didnt think so?" U want me to reply on this thing in betweeen your message?
P.S. please disregard comment if u a r a girl, i love you, and if your not then f8ck you and where you came from."
Sorry, I misunderstood your comment based on the content of the article. Calm down, buddy.
Either way, my point still stands. Would you want to have to replace the batteries in the nunchuck (analog) unit as well as the Wii-mote? That would be a pain. The point of the port on the bottom of the controller is that it can be used for many different peripherals. Making it wireless wouldn't be practical or technically feasible.