Topic: Nintendo and PixArt Team Up

[Karl Castaneda #2]

Together, the two companies will make sure the motion sensors in the Wii Remote are as efficient as can be.

PIXART TEAMS WITH NINTENDO FOR SENSOR TRACKING TECHNOLOGY FOR WII CONTROLLER    

Pixart's Tracking Sensor Technology Provides Quick, Responsive Play Experience on Wii Remote    

May 11, 2006.  PixArt Imaging Incorporation (PixArt), a market leader in CMOS sensor SoC (System-On-a-Chip) and related application semiconductors, today announces a strategic relationship with Nintendo Co., Ltd., to provide object tracking technology for Nintendo's new-generation gaming controller, the Wii Remote. PixArt's premium tracking technology will enable Nintendo to present innovative interaction gaming controllers for its new-generation gaming platform, Wii.    

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.    

"PixArt's technology enables a quick, dynamic play experience," commented Genyo Takeda, Senior Managing Director/General Manager, Integrated Research & Development Division, Nintendo Co., Ltd. "With PixArt's technology, Nintendo will  usher in a new era of video games."    

"It is PixArt's pleasure to partner with Nintendo, a technology leader, to launch the most powerful and pleasing solution for a gaming platform," said Sen Huang, Chief Executive Officer of PixArt. "The Multiple-Object Tracking™ engine (MOT sensor ™) has the highest performance ever in the market, and teaming with Nintendo means a gaming experience that is truly intuitive and inspiringly easy."    

"In the world of interaction, every realistic operation can be simulated in a computerized game. Through play of such simulation, any person can learn very quickly and efficiently in a virtual way. Integrated tracking technology from proven vendors like PixArt will enhance the gaming experience for the overwhelming majority of all-generation gamers." said Sen Huang.

[mantidor]

I don know where to ask so Ill ask here, is it really accurate? one thing that frustrated me in the videos is that people didnt seem to be able to hold the cursor still.

[Bloodworth]

Well, that would be due to it being extremely accurate.  Your hands shake and move more than you realize.  It's easier to control the farther back you are because it's less sensitive.

[AnyoneEB]

Bloodworth: I think you mean precise. Precision is the difference between detecting a millimeter movement vs. a centimeter movement. Accuracy is how close to the correct location of Wiimote the sensors think the Wiimote is. Normally this distinction is just pedantic, but it matters here. The sensors have precision. The interterpretation by the Wii has accuracy. Specifically, the sensor bar is used to increase the accuracy of the positioning.

[NinGurl69 *huggles]

Where can i buy this wonderful science fiction?

[mantidor]

hehe thats right, its too precise, all demos were in big widescreen TV, right? how would it be for us the normal bunch who will play it in a PC monitor (Im using vga input) or small TV? Maybe it would get better.

Other thing I didnt notice before is that you were playing while standing, resting your arm in your lap reduces the shaking a lot I suppose.

This is something that can be fixed through software, They only need to just reduce the sensitivity of the reception, or eliminate the shaking, it shouldnt be too hard to do.

[Ages]

This thread disappointed me slightly.  When I first read the title I thought it said "Nintendo and Pixar Team Up"  I want a good Mario movie damnit!

[PaLaDiN]

So, is this middleware to fix the problems people were complaining about? I don't understand the implications.

[Jensen]

No, it isn't middleware.  The WiiMote has two seperate motion tracking systems, this is the second one.  It is used anytime a game uses a cursor.   It is similar to an infrared optical mouse:  It uses a camera to track movement.  But instead of tracking the texture of a surface, it is tracking a couple of spots on the bar you put in front of your TV.

[Rellik]

Is this just a new announcement of a partnership that's been going on for a while, or have they just begun to collaborate?

I ask because if it's the latter, then hopefully with their combined expertise they can figure out a way to solve the issues all the people at E3 were having.  It seemed like overall the impression was that the technology was great, but needed a bit of a boost to be fully acceptable in a real-world gaming situation.  Hopefully with PixArt's help they can get this technology perfected before release =D because if the control isn't perfect, or as near perfect as is reasonable, then the whole concept of the Wii is kind of worthless... it's not exactly immersive control if you have to angle the controller awkwardly downward, or sit at an exact distance, or limit your motion to the area of the TV screen, or avoid moving the controller at high speeds, is it?

Looking forward to PGC's hands-on impressions as the technology evolves and the Wii comes closer to release =)

[Jensen]

Quote
Originally posted by: Rellik
Is this just a new announcement of a partnership that's been going on for a while, or have they just begun to collaborate?

The first remote we saw had an IR window, so they've had the technology built in to the controller, or at least planned, for a long time.