vaio on 23 July 2008
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.
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.
We're gonna need a bigger condom.
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 were 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 times. 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. That give 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.
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 application 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.
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. That give 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?
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 application 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.
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